THEATRICAL  AND 


RUDOLPH  ARONSON 


<b°^ 


Theatrical 

and 

Musical 
Memoirs 


RUDOLPH     ARONSON 


Theatrical  and  Musical 
Memoirs 


By 
Rudolph  Aronson 


- 


McBride,  Nast  and  Company 
IQI3 


Copyright,    1912,  by 
CURTIS  PUBLISHING  Co. 

Copyright,  1913,  by 
McBRiDE,  NAST  &  Co. 


Published,  February,  1913 


FOREWORD 

Numerous  friends  both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe  have 
prevailed  upon  me  to  write  my  memoirs  covering  more 
than  thirty  years  of  a  most  active  life  devoted  to  the  bringing 
of  musical  productions  and  artists  before  the  public,  and  so  I 
have  given  the  spring  and  summer  of  1912  to  the  procurement 
of  data  and  to  writing  and  completing  the  work.  Excerpts 
from  what  is  now  comprised  in  this  volume  may  be  recognized 
as  having  appeared  from  time  to  time  in  Munsey's  Magazine, 
The  Saturday  Evening  Post  and  Collier's  Weekly.  I  am 
grateful  also  to  Mr.  Charles  L.  Ritzman  and  to  Mr.  J.  M. 
Priaulx  of  Ditson  and  Company  for  photographs  and  data 
furnished. 

I  am  indebted  to  my  lamented  brothers,  Edward  and 
Albert,  for  their  sincere  co-operation  in  my  behalf  and  their 
advice  and  assistance  in  spurring  me  on,  when  at  times  I  was 
on  the  eve  of  defeat. 

This  work  is  offered  to  the  public  as  a  slight  token  of  ap- 
preciation for  its  kindly  interest  manifested  in  my  career,  and 
as  a  tribute  to  a  profession  it  has  been  my  pleasure  to  serve. 

RUDOLPH  ARONSON. 
NEW  YORK,  November,  1912. 


20223-13 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  STUDENT  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK  AND  PARIS  ....  3 
Early  Musical  Impulses — Strauss  Concerts  in  New 
York  and  Berlin — First  Wagner  Festival  in  Bay- 
reuth,  1876 — Meeting  with  Richard  Wagner  and 
Franz  Liszt  and  Interviews  with  Them — Notable 
Attendance  at  the  Banquet  in  Wagner's  Honor. 

II    RETURN  TO  PARIS 17 

Resumption  of  Studies  After  Return  from  Wagner 
Festival — The  Unpopularity  of  Wagner's  Music  at 
the  Cirque  d'  Hiver — Attendance  at  First  Pro- 
duction of  Masse's  "Paul  et  Virginie,"  1876 — Inter- 
views with  Johann  Strauss  and  Olivier  Metra — 
First  Productions  of  Saint-Saens'  ''Le  Timbre  d' 
Argent"  and  Gounod's  "Cinq  Mars." 

III  INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO 25 

First  Concert  at  Gilmore's  Garden — Realism  in  "The 
Awakening  of  the  Lion" — The  Metropolitan  Con- 
cert Hall  with  Its  Sliding  Roof — Composition  of 
the  "Sweet  Sixteen"  Waltz  for  Jules  Levy,  the 
Cornet  Virtuoso — How  the  Casino  Was  Planned 
and  Built — The  Distinguished  Stockholders  of  the 
New  York  Casino  Company — European  Trip  to 
Secure  the  Services  of  Eminent  Composers — First 
Meeting  with  Massenet  in  1882 — His  Objection  to 
His  First  Name. 

IV  THE  OPENING  OF  THE  CASINO 47 

Inauguration  of  the  Unfinished  Playhouse  in  1882 
with  Strauss'  "The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief" 
— Beginning  of  the  First  Continuous  Series  of 
Sunday  Popular  Concerts — First  Meeting  of  the 
Directors  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  in  the 
Casino,  1883. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

V    THE  WORLD'S  FIRST  ROOF  GARDEN 57 

Inauguration  on  July  7,  1883 — Francis  Wilson  and 
"The  Dotlet  on  the  I"— "The  Merry  War"  from  in 
Front  and  Behind  the  Curtain  at  the  Casino — The 
Home  of  Comic  Opera. 

VI     FIRST  PERFORMANCE  OF  "ERMINIE" 65 

Lillian  Russell's  Appearance  in  "Polly" — Heinrich 
Conried  and  His  Connection  with  the  Casino — The 
Beginning  of  "Erminie,"  the  Most  Successful 
Operetta  of  Modern  Times — The  Author's  Predic- 
tion of  Failure — Other  Works  by  Offenbach 
Lecocq,  Audran,  Millocker,  Gilbert  and  Sullivan, 
etc. 

VII    CONCERNING  SOME  CELEBRITIES 79 

Paderewski  and  the  Automatic  Piano — The  Serpen- 
tine Dance  of  Loie  Fuller — Master  Josef  Hof- 
mann's  Remarkable  Precocity — Eugene  Sandow's 
Appearance  at  the  Casino — Fanny  Rice  and  a 
Would-be  Admirer — The  Initial  Production  of 
"Cavalleria  Rusticana." 

VIII    THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO 91 

Sir  Arthur  Sullivan's  Visit  to  the  Casino — Lawsuits 
Occasioned  by  the  Piracy  of  "Erminie" — Francis 
Wilson  and  Louise  Sylvester  Brave  the  Blizzard  of 
i888—Marie  Jansen  and  the  Ballet  Girls  of 
"Nadjy" — General  William  T.  Sherman  at  the 
Casino — An  Attempt  to  Set  Fire  to  the  Casino — 
The  Bronze  Figure  Group. 

IX    THE  STRAUSS  GOLDEN  JUBILEE 119 

Presentation  of  the  Gold  and  Silver  Wreath  to  the 
"Waltz  King" — Incidents  Relating  to  the  Celebra- 
tion— The  Contributors  to  the  Wreath. 

X    VISIT  TO  MOROCCO 133 

Days  in  Tangier — A  Ten-day  Journey  Through  the 
Open  Country  to  Fez — Presentation  to  Sultan 
Mulai  Abdul  Aziz — Giving  the  Sultan  Music  Les- 
sons. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XI    RANDOM   RECOLLECTIONS .     .   147 

Old  New  York — Meeting  with  Verdi — Banquet  to 
Madame  Adelina  Patti — Signer  Cardinali's  Mishap 
— Jean  de  Reszke  Gives  Gratuitous  Instruction  to 
Talented  American  Girl — Madame  Emma  Eames 
and  the  Manuscript  Society  of  New  York — Miss 
Alice  Roosevelt  and  the  Wax  Figures — Sarah 
Bernhardt's  Generosity — The  Advent  of  Henri 
Marteau — Teresa  Carreno's  Return  to  America — 
Brahms,  Carreno  and  D' Albert — Meeting  with 
Eduard  Strauss  in  Cologne  and  His  Subsequent 
Appearance  in  New  York — Presentation  of  Johann 
Strauss'  "Vienna  Life"  at  the  Broadway  Theater. 

XII    MORE  RECOLLECTIONS 175 

Interviews  with  Pieter  Tschaikowsky — The  First  Per- 
formance of  Puccini's  "Tosca"  at  La  Scala,  Milan 
— Meeting  with  Leoncavallo  in  Italy,  and  His  Tour 
in  America — Kocian  at  William  C.  Whitney's 
musicale — Mascagni  and  His  Pupil — A  State  Con- 
cert at  Buckingham  Palace — Of  Isadora  Duncan, 
Maud  Allan,  Ruth  St.  Denis,  and  Thamara  de 
Swirsky — The  Difficulties  of  a  Manager. 

XIII  THE  THEATRICAL   SITUATION   OF  TO-DAY    ....  219 

The  Evolution  of  Musical  and  Dramatic  Enterprises 
— Moving  Picture  Shows — Overproduction  and 
Superfluous  Theaters — The  "Star"  System  and 
Present-day  Productions  as  Compared  with  Those 
of  the  Past — Various  "Schools"  of  Operetta — The 
Press  Agent  and  His  Ingenuity. 

XIV  THE  AMERICAN  PALACE  OF  ART 263 

Proposed  Plan  for  a  Palace  of  Art  for  Washington, 
D.  C.,  to  Comprise  a  Conservatory  of  Music  and 
School  of  Dramatic  Art — The  Scope  and  Details  of 
This  Suggested  National  Institution. 

INDEX  OF  NAMES 271 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Rudolph   Aronson .      .     Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

Johann  Strauss 4 

Richard  Wagner 8 

Siegfried  Wagner 8 

Georges  Bizet 12 

Franz  Liszt 12 

Charles   Gounod 12 

A  Letter  from  Camille  Saint-Saens 20 

A  Letter  from  Emil  Durand 26 

Josef  Gung'l 30 

Jules  Levy 30 

H.  Saro 30 

A  Letter  from  Charles  Gounod 40 

Massenet 40 

A  Letter  from  Massenet 42 

The  Casino,  New  York 48 

Madame  Theo 52 

The  Casino  Roof  Garden 58 

Lillian  Russell 66 

Sadie  Martinot 66 

Marie  Jansen  in  "Nadjy,"  1888 72 

Francis  Wilson  and  Pauline  Hall  in  "Erminie,"  1886  ...  72 

Josef  Hofmann 82 

Jaroslav  Kocian 82 

Paderewski         86 

Leopold  Godowsky 86 

Jacques    Offenbach 92 

Lillian   Nordica 92 

Sir  Arthur  Sullivan .  92 

Hans  von  Bulow 96 

Walter  Damrosch 96 

The   Strauss  Golden  Jubilee  Wreath 122 

Theodore  Thomas        .      .      .  128 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING  PAGE 

Anton  Rubinstein 128 

The  Sultan  of  Morocco 138 

Verdi 148 

Joachim  String  Quartette 154 

Adelina  Patti 158 

Teresa  Carreno 158 

Josef  Strauss 162 

Eduard    Strauss 162 

Johann  Strauss  III 162 

From  the  Original  Manuscript  of  Eduard  Strauss'  "Greeting 

to  America" 164 

Tschaikowsky 176 

Jan    Kubelik 176 

Puccini 176 

Richard  Strauss 180 

Henri  Wieniawski 180 

Mark  Hambourg 180 

A  Letter  from  William  Howard  Taft 188 

A  Letter  from  Theodore  Roosevelt 194 

Luigi  Arditi 202 

Leoncavallo 202 

Isadora  Duncan  and  Her  Dancing  Class 210 

Maud  Allan 214 

Ruth   St.   Denis 214 

Thamara  de  Swirsky 214 

Reginald  De  Koven 222 

John  Philip  Sousa 222 

Victor  Herbert 222 

Eugene  Sandow 232 

Mascagni .  232 

Camille  Saint-Saens 242 

Henri  Marteau 242 

Franz  von  Suppe 246 

Henry  E.  Dixey 246 

George  Grossmith 246 

William  Howard  Taft 256 

Theodore  Roosevelt 256 

Jean  de  Reszke  as  Raoul  in  "The  Huguenots" 264 

Brahms 264 

Edouard  de  Reszke  as  Mephistopheles  in  "Faust"  ...  264 


STUDENT  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK  AND  PARIS 


Theatrical  and  Musical  Memoirs 

CHAPTER  I 
STUDENT  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK  AND  PARIS 

Early  Musical  Impulses — Strauss  Concerts  in  New  York  and 
Berlin — First  Wagner  Festival  in  Bayreuth,  1876 — Meeting 
with  Richard  Wagner  and  Franz  Liszt  and  Interviews  with 
Them — Notable  Attendance  at  the  Banquet  in  Wagner's 
Honor. 

I  HAD  my  first  opportunity  to  see  the  world  in  New  York 
City  on  April  8th,  1856.  I  am  credibly  informed  that, 
aside  from  those  directly  interested  in  the  affair,  my  ar- 
rival caused  no  unusual  excitement.  Despite  this  rather  quiet 
reception  I  remained  in  New  York,  and  at  the  age  of  six  be- 
gan my  studies  by  learning  to  play  on  the  piano — I  also  at- 
tended Grammar  School  No.  35  on  West  13th  Street  at  that 
time  presided  over  by  Dr.  Thomas  Hunter,  and  later  I  became 
a  pupil  of  Packard's  Business  College  in  New  York,  with  a 
view  to  my  following  a  business  career.  My  music  teacher, 
Leopold  Meyer,  however,  discovering  in  me  a  strong  preference 
for  music,  persuaded  my  indulgent  parents  to  prepare  me  for  a 
musical  career,  and  in  pursuance  of  this  I  received  instruction 
on  the  piano,  on  the  violin  and  in  the  theory  of  music.  Fol- 


4          THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

lowing  the  Boston  Peace  Jubilee  organized  by  Bandmaster 
Patrick  S.  Gilmore,  with  a  constellation  of  musical  stars  from 
all  over  the  world,  Herr  Johann  Strauss,  the  Viennese  "Waltz 
King,"  was  engaged  to  conduct  his  own  compositions  at  three 
Philharmonic  Society  concerts  in  the  New  York  Academy  of 
Music,  at  Fourteenth  Street  and  Irving  Place.  The  Phil- 
harmonic Orchestra  of  one  hundred  musicians  was  under  the 
direction  of  Carl  Bergmann,  with  Leopold  Meyer,  my  teacher 
as  concertmaster.  In  company  with  my  brother  Joseph  (him- 
self an  excellent  amateur  violinist),  I  attended  the  first  of 
these  concerts  on  July  8th,  1870,  being  then  a  youngster  of 
fourteen;  and  append  herewith  the  program  of  that  memo- 
rable occasion. 


JOHANN  STRAUSS,  "THE  WALTZ  KING 


STUDENT  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK  5 

Academy  of  Music 

First 
GRAND  ORCHESTRAL  CONCERT 

in  New  York 
of  the  Illustrious  Composer  and  Chef   d'Orchestre    from 

Vienna 

HERR  JOHANN 
STRAUSS 

Monday  Evening,  July  8th,  1870,  at  8  o'clock 
on  which  occasion  Herr  Strauss  will  preside  over 

The  Finest  Orchestral  Ensemble  in  America 
selected  expressly  for  him  at  the  Boston  Jubilee 

Conductor   CARL  BERGMANN 

Pianist  J.  H.  BONAWITZ 

PROGRAMME 
PART  I. 

1.  Overture— "William   Tell"  Rossini 

Grand  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.   Carl   Bergmann 

2.  Introduction  to  the  Third  Act  of  "Lohengrin"  Wagner 

Grand  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.   Carl   Bergmann 

3.  Waltz— Kuenstlerleben  (Artist's  Life)  Strauss 

Grand  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 
Herr  Johann  Strauss 

4.  Piano-Forte    Solo — "Tannhauser"    March  Wagner-Liszt 

Mr.  J.  H.  Bonawitz 

5.  Circassian  March  Strauss 

Grand  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 
Herr  Johann  Strauss 

PART  II. 

6.  Overture— "Rienzi"  Wagner 

Grand  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.   Carl   Bergmann 

7.  Waltz — "On  the  Beautiful  Blue  Danube"  Strauss 

Grand  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 
Herr  Johann  Strauss 

8.  Piano-Forte  Solo — "Luther's  Hymn" 

Arranged  by  Bonawitz 
Mr.  J.  H.  Bonawitz 

9.  Polka — "Pizzicato"  Strauss 

Grand  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 

Herr  Johann  Strauss 

10.    Marche  aux  Flambeaux  Meyerbeer 

Grand  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 

Mr.   Carl  Bergmann 


6          THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Strauss  stepped  on  the  little  platform  in  front  of  the  or- 
chestra, violin  in  hand,  amid  thunders  of  applause,  and  con- 
ducted his  Artist's  Life  Waltz  in  his  own  inimitable  manner, 
at  times  himself  playing  the  violin. 

During  the  second  number  of  this  most  popular  creation 
the  "Waltz  King"  showed  that,  notwithstanding  the  inspira- 
tion he  possessed,  he  was  subject  to  the  commonplace  acci- 
dents of  ordinary  humanity,  for  he  slipped  from  the  little 
platform  on  which  he  stood  and  smashed  his  violin.  Without 
hesitation  and  showing  little  indication  of  undue  haste,  he 
seized  a  violin  from  the  concertinas  ter,  and  losing  only  eight 
bars  continued  "Artist's  Life"  amid  an  outburst  of  enthusiasm 
from  the  audience  such  as  I  have  never  elsewhere  heard.  It 
is  an  honor  to  record  that  the  magnetism  of  that  genius  of 
dance  music  inspired  and  overwhelmed  me.  His  irresistible 
ease  in  conducting  filled  me  with  enthusiasm,  and  was  the 
foundation  stone  on  which  I  built  my  musical  career. 

During  my  early  musical  studies,  I  was  domiciled  with  my 
parents  at  our  house  on  14th  Street  near  yth  Avenue  (then 
one  of  the  most  fashionable  thoroughfares  in  New  York). 
It  seemed  that  already  the  love  for  music  and  the  theater  had 
imbedded  itself  in  me,  and  as  the  Academy  of  Music  at  14th 
Street  and  Irving  Place  was  not  far  away  I,  in  company  with 
my  brother  Edward,  soon  managed  to  form  an  acquaintance 
with  the  janitor  of  that  then  famous  "Temple  of  Art,"  and 
two  and  sometimes  three  times  a  week  the  good-natured  jan- 
itor smuggled  us  in  through  the  stage,  and,  ascending  the  emer- 
gency staircase  leading  to  the  gallery,  we  heard  there  to  our 


STUDENT  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK  7 

hearts'  content  the  works  of  Bellini,  Donizetti,  Verdi,  Rossini, 
Gounod,  and  Ambroise  Thomas;  and  such  artists  as  Brignoli, 
Lagrange,  Adelina  Patti,  Nilsson,  Kellogg,  Lucca,  Parepa, 
Albani,  Gerster,  Nevada,  Gary,  Hauk,  Campanini,  Maurel, 
Capoul,  Del  Puente  and  others,  with  Max  Maretzek  in  the 
conductor's  chair. 

On  one  of  these  eventful  occasions,  however,  when  reaching 
the  gallery,  we  found  it  minus  the  usual  audience  and  upon 
inquiry  discovered  that  a  ball  was  to  be  held  that  evening  in 
honor  of  the  Grand  Duke  Alexis.  We  remained  in  the  gal- 
lery until  the  orchestra  had  played  the  introductory  march 
and  then  ventured  downstairs  to  the  corridor  which  was  fast 
filling  with  guests.  We  noticed  that  the  manager's  office  had 
been  transformed  into  a  temporary  committee  room  and 
buffet. 

To  my  surprise  I  was  accosted  by  a  tall  and  strikingly  hand- 
some gentleman  who  with  a  slight  foreign  accent  said,  "Could 
you  perhaps  direct  me  to  the  committee  room*?"  (I  must 
already  have  had  in  the  early  stages  of  my  career  a  sort  of 
managerial  bearing.)  I  replied,  "Why,  certainly.  Will  you 
follow  me*?"  The  tall  gentleman  followed  and  when  the 
door  opened  there  was  a  hearty  welcome  by  a  dozen  or  more 
of  New  York's  most  distinguished  citizens,  and  I  learned  that 
my  questioner  was  none  other  than  His  Royal  Highness  the 
Grand  Duke  Alexis,  brother  of  the  former  and  uncle  of  the 
present  Czar  of  Russia. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  I  disclosed  a  talent  for  composition, 
and  it  is  with  the  keenest,  satisfaction  that  my  memory  goes 


8          THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

back  to  the  presentation  of  my  first  waltz,  "Arcadian,"  at 
the  Arcadian  Club,  New  York.  Upon  that  occasion  the  good- 
natured  Albert  Weber,  Sr.  (head  of  the  Weber  Piano  Com- 
pany), turned  the  pages  of  my  composition  for  me,  spoke 
encouraging  words  and  helped  me  to  win  my  first  success. 
This  waltz  was  immediately  published,  and  on  September 
yth,  1873,  was  publicly  played  for  the  first  time  by  Theodore 
Thomas's  orchestra  at  the  Central  Park  Garden,  Seventh  Ave- 
nue, Fifty-eighth  and  Fifty-ninth  Streets.  The  favorable 
manner  in  which  this  waltz  was  received  by  the  audience  en- 
couraged me  to  go  to  Europe  for  further  instruction.  Ac- 
cordingly I  left  New  York  shortly  after  the  death  of  my 
mother  in  the  following  year,  accompanied  by  my  three 
sisters. 

Arriving  in  Paris  in  1874,  I  at  once  sought  Professor  Emile 
Durand,  of  the  Conservatoire  National,  as  he  had  been  highly 
spoken  of  to  me  as  a  most  finished  and  capable  musical  in- 
structor. I  became  one  of  his  pupils,  and  for  three  years 
followed  attentively  a  course  of  studies  in  harmony,  counter- 
point, instrumentation  and  composition. 

During  my  residence  in  Paris  I  attended  most  of  the  con- 
certs at  the  Conservatoire,  at  the  Cirque  d'Hiver  and  the 
Grand  Opera  and  Theaters,  and  in  my  spare  moments  com- 
pleted a  number  of  compositions  of  which  the  "Marche  Tri- 
omphale"  was  performed  with  much  success  at  the  Johann 
Strauss  Monster  Concert  in  Berlin  on  June  17th,  1876,  and 
the  others  by  the  leading  orchestras  and  bands  in  Paris,  Ber- 
lin, Vienna  and  London,  for  which  I  was  decidedly  grateful. 


STUDENT  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK    (  9 

Following  is  the  program  of  the  interesting  Strauss  Con- 
cert in  Berlin:' 

STADT  PARK 
No.  147  Grosse  Friedrichstrasse 
Sonnabend  den  17  Juni,  1876 

Letztes 

STRAUSS'S  CHES  MONSTRE-CONCERT 

ausgefiihrt  von  der  Berliner  Symphoniekapelle  und  der,  des 

Kaiser  Franz  Garde  Grenadier-Regiments  unter  Leitung  des 

K.   K.  osterreich   Hof-Ball-Musikdirector's 

JOHANN  STRAUSS 

der  Konigl,  Preuss,  Musikdirect,  Herren  Prof.  Ludwig  von 
Brenner  und  Saro. 

PROGRAMME. 

I.  THEIL. 

1.  Ouverture  z.  op.   "Der  Beherrscher  der  Geister" 

v.    Weber 

2.  Marche  Triomphale  v.  Rud  Aronson 

3.  Intro.,  Thema  und  Variationen  a.  d.  op. 

"Die  Abenceragen"  v.   Cherubim 

4.  Miserere  a.  "Trovatore"  v.  Verdi 

5.  Newa-Polka  v.  Johann  Strauss 

6.  Cagliostro-Walzer  v.  Johann  Strauss 

7.  II.  Finale  a.  d.  op.  "Martha"  v.  Flotow 

8.  Jubel-Ouverture  v.    Weber 

II.  THEIL. 

9.  Ouverture  "Ein  Sommernachtstraum"      v.  Mendelssohn 

10.  Trolola,  Toskanisches  Volkslied  v.  Gordigiani 

11.  Carnevals-Botschafter  Walzer  v.   Johann  Strauss 

12.  Walthers  Traumlied  a.  "Die  Meistersinger"  v.  Wagner 

13.  Variationen  a.  d.  "Chorfantasie"  v.  Beethoven 

14.  Corso-Quadrille  v.  Philipp 

15.  Wiener  Blut  Walzer  v.  Johann  Strauss 

16.  Immergrun  Potpourri  v.  Saro 


10       THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Naturally  I  was  present  at  the  first  Wagner  Festival  at 
Bayreuth  in  August,  1876,  stopping  en  route  at  Berlin  on 
a  visit  to  my  good  friend,  Herr  Saro,  Germany's  most  famous 
bandmaster,  who  honored  me  in  performing  for  the  first  time 
my  "Victory"  and  "Washington"  Marches  at  the  Stadt-Park, 
where  I  had  as  my  guest  a  young  cousin  of  mine  (a  resident 
of  Berlin)  Gabriel  Rosenberg,  who  later  on  came  to  New 
York,  composed  the  "Honeymoon"  March  and  other  popular 
numbers  under  the  pseudonym  "George  Rosey"  and  con- 
quered. 

At  Bayreuth  I  was  one  of  the  six  New  Yorkers  at  that  his- 
torical event,  the  other  five  being  Dr.  Leopold  Damrosch, 
Francis  Korbay,  Louis  Dachauer,  Fred  Schwab,  of  the  New 
York  Times,  and  John  P.  Jackson  of  the  New  York  Herald, 
who  afterward  translated  into  English  several  of  Wagner's 
works. 

The  crowd  of  visitors  at  Bayreuth  was  so  large  on  this  oc- 
casion that  hotels  were  filled  beyond  their  comfortable  capac- 
ity, and  the  people  stopped  sending  'buses  to  the  railroad 
station  for  new  guests.  I  was  one  of  the  victims  of  this  over- 
crowding, and  with  my  friend  John  P.  Jackson,  tramped  the 
streets  until  we  found  in  a  private  house  a  large  room  contain- 
ing six  beds.  We  engaged  two  of  these  beds  at  a  fabulous 
price,  so  high  that  the  rental  of  the  entire  six  beds  probably 
paid  off  any  mortgages  that  may  have  then  existed  against 
the  property.  On  the  following  night  after  the  Wagner  per- 
formance I  aided  Jackson  in  preparing  his  criticism  on  the 


STUDENT  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK  11 

work.  That  the  cable  might  be  retained  until  we  had  com- 
pleted our  review,  and  his  paper  thus  receive  the  first  news  in 
America  of  this  great  event,  Jackson  gave  the  operator  a  few 
hundred  meaningless  words  to  send  over  and  we  rushed  the 
preparation  of  our  message.  The  result  of  this  clever  and 
expensive  expedient  was  that  the  newspaper  scored  a  beat  in 
its  notice  of  the  greatest  musical  event  of  the  century. 

In  honor  of  the  grand  event  Bayreuth  was  adorned  in  a 
lavish  and  artistic  manner.  It  offered  an  artistic  tribute  im- 
pulsively paid  to  the  most  illustrious  art  triumph  of  modern 
times.  In  the  American  Register  of  Paris,  August  iQth,  1876, 
I  wrote  of  this  interesting  festival  as  follows : 

"Bayreuth  is  magnificently  draped  with  banners,  emblems, 
and  so  forth,  and  from  one  end  of  the  city  to  the  other  the 
German  colors  are  visible.  The  trains  bring  in  hundreds  who 
are  unable  to  obtain  accommodations  in  the  hotels  and  are 
compelled  to  find  lodgings  in  the  neighboring  villages. 

"The  Emperor  of  Germany  arrived  last  evening  and  was 
received  by  the  populace ;  some  two  thousand  men  took  part  in 
a  Fackelzug  arranged  in  his  honor,  the  band  played  Wagner's 
Kaiser  March,  the  Prussian  anthem  and  a  Fackeltanz,  after 
which  the  crowd  dispersed.  The  streets  are  literally  packed 
with  people,  and  in  passing  some  of  the  private  residences 
strains  from  "Die  Walkiire"  and  "Gotterdammerung"  are 
heard." 

The  performance  of  "Rheingold"  should  have  begun  at  five 
o'clock  on  Sunday  evening,  but  was  postponed  until  seven 


12         THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

o'clock.  Between  these  hours  thousands  were  strolling  in 
the  direction  of  the  theater.  About  seven  o'clock  the  German 
Kaiser  arrived  and  was  ushered  into  the  Prince's  loge  amid  the 
greatest  enthusiasm.  In  a  few  moments  the  fifteen  hundred 
seats  of  the  auditorium  were  occupied  and  almost  immediately 
eight  or  ten  trumpeters — stationed  in  an  opening  in  the 
amphitheater — by  the  playing  of  a  few  measures  of  the  prin- 
cipal motive  of  Rheingold  announced  the  beginning  of  the 
evening's  performance,  a  most  original,  timely  and  beautiful 
innovation. 

The  invisible  orchestra  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  picked 
musicians  under  the  able  conductorship  of  Hans  Richter  with 
August  Wilhelmj  as  concertmaster  made  an  overwhelming 
success.  Following  is  the  cast: 

Wo  fan Franz  Betz 

Donner Joseph  Koegel 

Froh    George  Unger 

Loge Heinrich  Vogel 

Alberieh  Karl  Hill 

Mima   Karl  Schlosser 

Fasolf    Alb  Filers 

Fafner   F.  von  Reichenberg 

Fricka    Friderike  Grim 

Freia Marie  Haupt 

Erda    Louise  Jaide 

Waglinde   Lilli  Lehmann 

Wellgunde Marie  Lehmann 

Flosshilde   .  .  .  Minna  Lammert 


STUDENT  DAYS  IN  NEW  YORK  13 

It  was  my  good  fortune  during  the  first  Wagner  festival 
to  have  a  seat  directly  behind  that  of  the  master  himself,  and 
this  gave  me  an  opportunity  to  see  how  intently  he  followed 
every  movement  on  the  stage  and  in  the  orchestra.  He  was 
a  little,  wiry,  nervous  man,  and  just  before  the  conclusion  of 
each  act  he  would  spring  to  his  feet,  rush  behind  the  scenes 
to  consult  with  the  artists,  superintend  the  settings,  and  then 
appear  before  the  curtain  to  acknowledge  the  plaudits  of 
the  audience.  As  the  curtain  arose  for  the  next  act  he  would 
quietly  resume  his  seat. 

A  casual  happening  that  I  chanced  to  witness  marked  Franz 
Liszt  as  the  next  person  of  consequence  to  Wagner  in  Bay- 
reuth  at  that  time.  Liszt  was  passing  the  hotel  where  the 
Emperor  of  Germany  was  stopping,  and  His  Majesty,  on  the 
veranda,  recognized  the  famous  "Abbe  Pianist"  and  saluted 
him  first,  an  honor  rarely  conferred  upon  an  artist.  In  this 
instance  it  showed  the  positive  reverence  in  which  Liszt  was 
held  by  even  an  emperor.  Another  evidence  of  reverence  to 
art  and  talent  was  manifested  at  the  banquet  after  the  com- 
pletion of  the  first  Bayreuth  festival.  Wagner,  seated  at  a 
table  with  the  artists  of  the  Ring  of  the  Nibelungen — Franz 
Liszt,  Hans  Richter  and  August  Wilhelmj — was  commanded 
to  step  over  to  the  tables  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany  and  his 
guests  and  to  be  seated  with  them.  This  marked  courtesy, 
however,  Wagner  declined,  explaining  that  he  must  preside 
over  his  own  table. 

This  banquet  was  attended  by  six  hundred  people,  and  in 


14        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Herr  Wagner's  address  he  set  forth  that  his  final  remarks 
at  the  theater  the  previous  evening,  "Wenn  sie  wollen,  haben 
sie  jetzt  eine  Kunst"  (If  you  so  desire  you  now  have  an  art 
of  your  own),  were  not  to  be  misunderstood,  that  he  merely 
meant  them  in  connection  with  Germany  alone,  who  was  not 
original  in  her  ideas,  but  imitates  France  and  Italy.  His  idea 
was  to  create  in  Germany  an  Art  heretofore  unknown,  and  he 
thought  that  the  success  of  the  first  performances  of  the  "Ring 
des  Nibelungen"  partially  assured  this.  He  thanked  in  the 
most  emphatic  terms  his  life-long  friend  Franz  Liszt,  without 
whom  his  success  would  have  been  limited.  They  embraced 
each  other,  to  the  utmost  gratification  of  the  banqueters,  after 
which  Herr  Wagner  was  presented  with  a  silver  wreath  by 
Madame  Lucca  (not  the  prima  donna,  but  the  wife  of  the 
Milan  Music  publisher). 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  never-to-be-forgotten  banquet, 
I  had  the  honor  of  a  few  moments'  conversation  with  Wagner 
and  Liszt.  They  expressed  to  me  their  gratitude  at  the  success 
of  the  Wagner  works  in  young  America. 


RETURN  TO  PARIS 


CHAPTER  II 
RETURN  TO  PARIS 

Resumption  of  Studies  After  Return  from  Wagner  Festival— 
The  Unpopularity  of  Wagner's  Music  at  the  Cirque 
d'  Hiver— Attendance  at  First  Production  of  Masse's  "Paul 
et  Virginie,"  1876— Interviews  with  Johann  Strauss  and 
Olivier  Metra— First  Productions  of  Saint-Saens'  "Le 
Timbre  d'  Argent"  and  Gounod's  "Cinq  Mars." 

AFTER  the  Bayreuth  festival  I  returned  to  Paris  and 
resumed  my  studies  under  Professor  Durand,  attend- 
ing musical  performances  or  similar  and  improving 
diversions.    A  grand  concert  was  announced  for  October  29th, 
1876,  to  be  given  at  the  Cirque  d'Hiver,  with  the  famous 
Pasdeloup  as  director.     In  the  course  of  the  concert  M.  Pas- 
deloup  introduced  Siegfried's  Death  March  from  Wagner's 
Nibelungen.    The  anti-German  feeling  in  France  at  that  time 
was  so  intense,  the  hatred  for  all  things  German  was  so  deep- 
seated  in  the  French  heart,  that  the  beginning  of  the  Death 
March  was  likewise  the  beginning  of  a  most  disgraceful  scene. 
Before  the  march  was  reached  loud  outcries  began,  outcries 
of  "A  bas  la  musique  de  Vavenirl     A  la  porte  Wagner!"  and 
so  boisterous  and  so  persistent  were  these  cries  that  many  in 

the  vast  audience  left  the  hall,  evidently  fearing  more  violent 

17 


i8        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

demonstrations  from  the  riotous  element.  Some  gentlemen 
arose  and  declared  the  manifestation  ridiculous,  coming,  as 
it  did,  before  the  march  had  been  heard.  This  seemed  to 
quiet  the  tumult  sufficiently  for  the  march  to  be  played,  but 
even  its  magnificent  passages  could  not  soften  the  rancor  in 
the  French  heart,  inasmuch  as  the  whistling,  hooting,  stamp- 
ing and  yelling  recommenced  and  the  turmoil  was  even  in- 
creased. Monsieur  Pasdeloup  nearly  broke  his  baton,  vainly 
endeavoring  to  regain  order.  He  tried  to  speak  to  the  audi- 
ence but  was  not  permitted  to  get  beyond  "Mesdames,  Mes- 
sieurs! Respectez  les  executants,  Fart,  la  musique!" 

After  many  efforts  Monsieur  Pasdeloup  succeeded  in  giv- 
ing an  interrupted  rendition  of  Weber's  beautiful  overture  to 
"Der  Freischiitz,"  and  it  was  accompanied,  as  it  had  never 
been  before  and  has  not  been  since,  by  the  maledictions  of 
three  thousand  angered  hearers,  who  shouted  at  its  conclusion 
"A  has  Pasdeloup!"  The  entire  scene  was  one  not  soon  to  be 
forgotten. 

In  commenting  upon  the  first  performance  in  Paris  of  Vic- 
tor Masse' s  "Paul  et  Virginie"  (November,  1876)  I  wrote: 
"It  is  charming,  replete  with  melodies  of  a  sympathetic  nature; 
orchestration  superb.  The  interpretation  of  the  various  char- 
acters by  Messieurs  Capoul  (who  later  became  assistant  di- 
rector of  the  Paris  Grand  Opera)  and  Bouhy  and  Mile.  Ritter 
(a  girl  of  seventeen  and  a  sister  of  the  distinguished  pianist 
Theodore  Ritter)  and  Madame  Engalli,  was  delightful." 

The  Opera  ball  of  January,    1877,  is  worthy  of  notice,. 


RETURN  TO  PARIS  19 

because  an  innovation  was  made  in  it  that  season.  Hundreds 
of  gas  jets  illumined  the  magnificent  building  wherein  the  ball 
was  held,  and  the  brilliancy  thus  produced  can  hardly  be  sur- 
passed by  modern  electricity.  In  previous  years  candles  had 
been  used,  and  the  spluttering,  dripping  wax  was  so  profuse 
as  to  remind  me  of  a  snowfall.  The  dissatisfaction  caused 
thereby  was  great,  and  particularly  vehement  among  the 
numerous  persons  whose  costumes  were  injured.  Over  125,- 
ooo  francs  were  taken  for  tickets,  and  the  estimate  was  made 
that  upward  of  7,000  persons  attended  the  ball.  This  was 
not  difficult  to  believe,  for  the  mass  was  so  dense  as  to  give 
little  opportunity  to  the  terpsichorean  devotees. 

On  the  occasion  of  this  Opera  ball  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  and  conversing  with  both  conductors,  Monsieur 
Olivier  Metra,  who  presided  for  so  many  years  over  the  or- 
chestra at  the  Folies-Bergere  and  idolized  by  Paris  as  com- 
poser of  "Les  Roses,"  "La  Vague"  and  "Serenade"  Waltzes, 
and  Herr  Johann  Strauss,  who  had  just  arrived  in  the  city. 
Herr  Strauss  expressed  to  me  his  fear  that,  judging  from  the 
last  rehearsal,  the  orchestra  would  not  perform  his  works 
properly,  and  he  gave  me  reason  to  believe  that  he  thought  a 
prejudice  existed  against  him  as  it  did  against  Wagner.  He 
assured  me  he  was  sehr  zufrieden  with  the  rendition  of  his 
works  in  New  York  and  Boston,  but  added  that,  although 
his  stay  in  those  cities  was  pleasant,  he  would  never  again 
attempt  to  cross  the  ocean.  After  a  few  moments'  further 
conversation  he  uttered  a  hearty  auf  wiedersehen  and  as- 


20        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

cended  the  orchestra  platform,  where  he  conducted  his  superb 
waltz,  "Wine,  Woman  and  Song"  to  be  rewarded  by  the  un- 
restrained plaudits  of  the  vast  audience. 

In  February,  1877,  I  attended  in  Paris  the  first  representa- 
tion at  the  Theatre  Lyrique,  of  Camille  Saint-Saens  "Le 
Timbre  d'Argent."  Monsieur  Saint-Saens  had  a  flattering 
audience,  as  it  embraced  many  famous  composers  and  other 
talented  persons  well  known  to  the  Paris  world.  Among  the 
composers  of  eminence  I  noted  Charles  Gounod,  Ambroise 
Thomas,  Anton  Rubinstein,  Jules  Massenet,  Victor  Masse, 
Ernest  Reyer,  Victorien  Joncieres,  Paladilhe,  Duvernoy  and 
Guiraud. 

The  opera  was  not  warmly  received.  The  libretto  seemed 
to  be  a  mixture  of  "La  Muette  de  Portici"  and  "Faust,"  and 
the  music  was  unworthy  the  composer  of  those  marvelous 
symphonic  poems  which  are  played  wherever  classical  music 
is  appreciated,  establishing  for  Saint-Saens  a  reputation  sur- 
passed by  few  living  musicians. 

In  April  of  that  year  I  witnessed  the  first  performance  of 
Gounod's  "Cinq  Mars"  at  the  Opera  Comique  in  Paris.  The 
intention  had  originally  been  to  present  the  opera  "Le  Cinq 
Mars"  March  fifth. 

Commenting  thereon  at  that  time  I  wrote:  "The  introduc- 
tion to  the  first  act  is  splendidly  scored  and  introduced  a  won- 
derful Marche  funebre.     This,  with  a  few  choruses  and  an 
unusually  striking  duet  in  Act  IV  commencing 
"Oui  le  ciel  seconde  nos  voeux," 


i 

V 


n 
? 


RETURN  TO  PARIS  21 

is  the  gem  of  the  opera,  which  I  think  will  not  add  to  the 
established  reputation  of  the  composer  'Faust,'  although 
the  rights  of  publication  and  representation  of  'Cinq  Mars' 
in  France,  England  and  Italy  were  disposed  of,  at  fabulous 
prices." 

I  also  dwell  with  much  pleasure  on  my  attendance  in  1877, 
at  an  early  production  of  Bizet's  "Carmen,"  given  at  the 
Paris  Opera  Comique  with  Galli  Marie  in  the  title  role.  My 
written  comments  on  the  performance  at  that  time  may  be 
of  interest  now. 

"Monsieur  Bizet  deserves  much  praise  for  the  masterly 
instrumentation  of  Carmen  throughout,  and  although  at 
times  a  little  heavy  or  'Wagnerian'  it  is  pleasing  to  the  ear. 
The  melodies  are  original,  characteristic  of  the  Spanish  al- 
though the  'Habanera'  was  composed  by  Yradier  (a  popular 
Spanish  song  writer)  and  cleverly  re-arranged  by  Bizet.  I 
was  particularly  impressed  with  the  music  in  the  Fourth  Act, 
full  of  pathos  and  genuine  dramatic  power,  while  the  duet 
song  by  Carmen  and  Jose,  before  she  is  stabbed,  is  rendered 
additionally  pathetic  by  the  contrast  of  its  mournful  strains, 
with  the  gay  notes  of  triumph  resounding  from  the  neighbor- 
ing 'Plaza  del  Toros.'  The  excellence  of  this  work  will  soon 
place  Monsieur  Bizet  in  the  very  first  rank  of  the  rising  young 
composers  of  France.  There  is  hardly  a  doubt  that  Carmen 
will  meet  with  success  in  New  York." 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO 


CHAPTER  III 
INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO 

First  Concert  at  Gilmore's  Garden — Realism  in  "The  Awakening 
of  the  Lion" — The  Metropolitan  Concert  Hall  with  Its 
Sliding  Roof — Composition  of  the  "Sweet  Sixteen"  Waltz 
for  Jules  Levy,  the  Cornet  Virtuoso — How  the  Casino  Was 
Planned  and  Built — The  Distinguished  Stockholders  of  the 
New  York  Casino  Company — European  Trip  to  Secure  the 
Services  of  Eminent  Composers — First  Meeting  with 
Massenet  in  1882 — His  Objection  to  His  First  Name. 

IN  May,  having  completed  my  studies  in  Paris,  I  left  that 
beautiful  city  for  my  home  in  New  York,  and  on  the 
eve  of  my  departure  received  the  following  letter  from 
my  esteemed  Professor  Durand : 

"My  dear  Aronson, 

"Before  you  leave  Paris  I  desire  to  express  to  you  the  satisfac- 
tion you  have  given  me  in  pursuing,  with  the  most  absolute  assidu- 
ity, my  lessons  in  harmony,  counterpoint  and  orchestration.  I  do 
not  doubt,  but,  that  with  a  continuation  of  your  work,  your  talent, 
matured  by  reflection  and  study,  will  bring  you  numerous  successes. 
Remain  laborious  and  persevering,  as  I  have  known  you  to  be,  and 
accept,  dear  pupil,  my  best  wishes  for  your  success  and  the  ex- 
pression of  my  affectionate  sentiments. 

EMILE  DURAND, 

Professor  of  the  National  Conservatory  of  Music,  Paris. 
25 


26        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Immediately  following  my  arrival  in  New  York,  Mr.  P.  S. 
Gilmore,  the  famous  bandmaster,  honored  me  by  placing  on 
the  programme  of  his  first  concert  for  the  season  (May  24th, 
1877)  at  Gilmore's  Garden,  26th  Street,  Madison  and  Fourth 
Avenues,  my  new  waltz,  "Return  from  Abroad,"  and  at  subse- 
quent concerts  my  "Washington,"  "Triomphale"  and  "Vic- 
tory" marches,  the  first  composed  for  the  Centennial  Exposi- 
tion in  Philadelphia,  1876. 

When  I  had  completed  some  orchestral  works  upon  which 
I  had  been  engaged  during  the  summer  months,  I  was  per- 
suaded by  over-enthusiastic  friends  to  lease  for  Sunday  even- 
ings the  Madison  Square  Garden — then  known  as  Gilmore's 
Garden — from  Sheridan  Shook  and  Edward  G.  Gilmore,  its 
managers.  At  that  time  the  Barnum  Circus  was  performing 
there  during  the  week,  but  the  managers  of  the  circus  prom- 
ised to  move  the  animals'  cages,  so  as  to  avoid  a  noise  during 
my  intended  concerts.  For  this  purpose  about  one-third  of 
the  Garden  was  screened  off  and  my  orchestra  of  fifty  musi- 
cians was  placed  on  a  platform  in  front  of  the  improvised 
screen. 

When  I  began  the  music,  there  came  at  an  opportune  mo- 
ment, as  though  the  animals  had  been  trained  for  it,  an  out- 
burst from  lions,  elephants,  tigers,  hyenas  and  the  other  varie- 
ties of  wild  creatures.  This  added  much  realism  to  the  number 
on  the  program  first  greeted  by  the  roars,  which  chanced  to  be 
Kontski's  "Awakening  of  the  Lion."  As  I  had  also  included 
Strauss'  "Sounds  from  the  Vienna  Woods"  and  Litolff's 


X"<^^^     /-       /&  — - -?*\ —  ^      s/) 

^^^^^^^^^   <%&*£&£f£^£gZ^*Zi£^Z^^,£& 

A   LETTER    FROM   EMII.E    DCRAND 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO     27 

•'Robespierre  Overture,"  the  savage  addition  was  not  an  un- 
pleasant feature. 

This  accompaniment,  however,  convinced  me,  that  environ- 
ment was  one  of  the  essentials  for  proper  concert  entertain- 
ments, and  so  firmly  did  this  conviction  take  hold  of  me,  that 
the  following  year  (1878)  on  one  of  my  trips  crossing  the 
Atlantic  on  my  way  back  to  New  York,  I  had  the  good 
fortune  of  meeting  Mr.  Charles  Lanier,  a  fellow  passenger,  to 
whom  I  suggested  the  introduction  of  the  European  Concert 
Garden,  with  American  embellishments.  The  idea  at  once 
appealed  to  him  and  he  proposed  that  it  be  called  "The  Metro- 
politan Concert  Hall,"  and  almost  immediately  after  our  ar- 
rival, he  enlisted  the  co-operation  of  our  mutual  friend,  Mr. 
Jesse  Seligman,  who,  like  Mr.  Lanier,  was  public-spirited, 
and  favored  any  enterprise  that  would  uplift  music  and  art 
in  the  metropolis.  The  Metropolitan  Concert  Company  was 
organized  and  the  stockholders  besides  Messrs.  Lanier  and 
Seligman  included  J.  Pierpont  Morgan,  James  J.  Goodwin, 
Wm.  E.  Strong,  Edward  Winslow,  Henry  Morgan,  Geo.  W. 
Cotterill,  F.  O.  French,  Francis  H.  Tows,  Adolph  Hallgarten, 
Josiah  M.  Fiske,  Morris  K.  Jesup,  Wm.  H.  Appleton,  Wm. 
R.  Garrison,  Jose  F.  Navarro,  Wm.  H.  Scott,  Henry  Have- 
meyer,  Edward  Cooper,  Wm.  A.  Cole,  Theodore  Havemeyer, 
James  E.  Ward,  C.  F.  Woereschoeffer,  A.  B.  Stone,  G.  S. 
Winston,  Julius  Hallgarten,  D.  C.  Calvin,  Algernon  S.  Sul- 
livan, Charles  Renauld,  Grosvenor  P.  Lowrey,  Wm.  H.  Gun- 
ther,  Charles  Mali,  Louis  Waetjin,  James  P.  Lowery,  George 


28        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

W.  Dillaway  and  J.  N.  A.  Griswold.  The  Metropolitan 
Concert  Hall  was  constructed  in  1880  at  Broadway,  Forty- 
first  Street  and  Seventh  Avenue,  New  York  (the  present  site 
of  the  Broadway  Theater). 

The  building  had  been  designed  by  Mr.  George  B.  Post, 


$ 


1 1  j  i  r  j  .1 


±± 


Am.,        i  q.^  i.q  --+1-4. 

V<  a      1  1    =j= 

i~*—  T 

?7fie  

Jf , 


and  was  modeled  somewhat  after  the  concert  resorts  in 
Vienna  and  Berlin.  The  raised  orchestra  platform  faced  the 
orchestra  seats,  of  which  there  were  about  eight  hundred;  in 
the  balcony  were  boxes  only.  Refreshments  were  served  from 
an  excellent  French  restaurant,  situated  over  the  orchestra  plat- 
form. A  novelty,  however,  was  a  sliding  roof,  in  the  center 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO     29 

of  the  roof  proper,  and  encircling  this  sliding  portion  was 
a  promenade  that  made  a  pleasant  summer  and  winter  resort 
at  reasonable  prices.  The  building  was  sufficiently  large  to 
accommodate,  all  told,  over  three  thousand  persons.  At  this 
hall  were  given  concerts  of  a  popular  order  with  an  orchestra 
of  fifty  selected  musicians  under  my  conductorship. 

In  July,  1880,  at  the  Metropolitan  Concert  Hall,  I  revived 
with  much  success  some  of  the  most  popular  compositions  of 
Paul  Jullien,  who  captivated  his  audiences  at  the  Old  Castle 
Garden  in  New  York  in  1854.  It  was  at  this  time,  too,  that 
I  composed  my  "Sweet  Sixteen"  Waltz  for  the  famous  cor- 
net virtuoso,  Jules  Levy.  This  waltz  achieved  signal  suc- 
cess, and  the  sale  reached  several  hundred  thousand  copies. 

After  I  had  conducted  one  hundred  and  fifty  consecutive 
concerts  there,  Mr.  Theodore  Thomas  for  three  weeks  followed 
me  as  conductor  of  the  orchestra.  About  this  time  I  evolved 
the  plan  of  building  the  Casino,  which  should  have  the  first 
real  roof  garden  in  the  world. 

Spurred  on  by  my  brothers  Edward  and  Albert  and  urged 
by  a  restless  but  clearly  defined  ambition,  I  prepared  again 
to  visit  Europe  and  sought  in  my  brain  for  a  new  musical  idea. 
I  had  the  personal  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  my  single- 
handed,  strenuous  efforts  had  raised  the  Metropolitan  Con- 
cert Hall  to  an  honored  position,  being,  as  the  papers  kindly 
said,  one  of  the  finest  concert  halls  ever  built.  When  I  finally 
sailed  in  February,  1881,  I  had  no  thought  that  the  hall  would 
become  an  ice-skating  rink,  a  quasi-theater,  and  then  be  de- 


30        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

molished  entirely  to  make  place  for  the  Broadway  Theater. 

The  basis  of  the  prompting  that  led  me  now  to  visit  Europe 
was  a  desire  to  create  in  New  York  a  place  of  amusement  that 
should  be  a  distinct  improvement  on  the  Metropolitan  Con- 
cert Hall.  With  the  hope  of  finding  a  suggestion  I  might 
utilize,  I  visited  many  of  the  cities  of  the  Old  World,  and 
gathered  from  Kroll's  Garten  in  Berlin,  from  the  Volks  Gar- 
ten in  Vienna  and  from  Frascati's  in  Paris  a  multitude  of  sug- 
gestions which  later  I  was  able  to  use  to  advantage. 

One  evening,  returning  to  my  lodging  at  the  little  Hotel 
Mayran  in  the  Square  Montholon  in  Paris,  after  a  concert  at 
Frascati's,  I  considered  whether  such  a  resort  would  meet  with 
success  in  New  York.  While  the  inquiring  thought  occupied 
my  mind,  I  recalled  frequent  visits  during  my  student  days 
in  Paris  to  the  Ambassadeurs  and  the  Alcazar  on  the  Champs 
Elysees,  where  each  summer  I  had  enjoyed  so  many  delight- 
ful open-air  entertainments  with  refreshments  served  al  fresco. 
But  a  realization  of  the  enormous  price  of  land  on  Broadway 
showed  me  the  futility  of  attempting  to  replant  the  Champs 
Elysees  gardens  to  a  central  part  of  New  York. 

To  the  realization  of  this  financial  obstruction  I  believe 
may  have  been  due  my  greater  thought,  for  at  once  came  to 
me  the  question :  Why  not  utilize  for  garden  purposes  the  roof 
of  the  building  I  hope  to  erect,  and  thus  escape  the  enormous 
cost  of  valuable  ground  space*?  Already  had  I  christened  it 
in  my  mind  the  Roof  Garden,  and  I  could  mentally  see  an 
adornment  of  plants  and  shrubbery  and  fountains.  I  imag- 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO     31 

ined  concerts  and  other  entertainments  being  given  there,  re- 
freshments being  served — in  other  words,  I  mentally  trans- 
ported the  Ambassadeurs  from  the  ground  floor  of  the  Champs 
Elysees  in  Paris  to  the  roof  of  a  building  on  Broadway  in 
New  York. 

I  discussed  the  matter  with  Johann  and  Eduard  Strauss. 
During  my  visit  to  them,  the  latter  most  courteously  invited 
me  to  attend  a  special  rehearsal  of  his  orchestra  and  instructed 
me  in  the  proper  interpretation  of  the  Strauss  repertoire. 
About  this  period  I  heard  for  the  first  time  Johann  Strauss' 
operetta,  "The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief,"  with  which  I  was 
immensely  pleased. 

After  leaving  Vienna  I  paid  a  flying  visit  to  Herr  Josef 
Gung'l,  the  veteran  composer,  at  Hamburg,  and  he  quite  sur- 
prised me  with  the  information  that  in  1848  he  had  crossed 
the  Atlantic  Ocean  with  an  orchestra  of  thirty-six  men,  and 
had  given  several  concerts  at  the  Astor  Place  Opera  House 
in  New  York.  Later  he  visited  other  cities  in  the  United 
States  and  intended  going  to  California,  but  was  prevented 
by  the  sudden  decamping  of  eighteen  or  twenty  members  of 
his  orchestra.  This  curtailment  of  his  musical  talent  com- 
pelled his  early  return  to  Europe  in  1849.  Herr  Gung'l 
called  his  daughter  Die  Amerikanerin  because,  though  she  was 
but  six  months  old  when  he  took  her  with  him  to  the  United 
States,  she  had,  he  declared,  inhaled  some  of  its  free  ideas  even 
at  that  age.  This  lady  has  since  become,  as  Madam  Nau- 
mann,  a  famous  vocalist  in  Germany.  Herr  Gung'l  wrote 


32        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

two  of  his  prettiest  and  most  successful  waltzes,  "Traume  auf 
den  Ozean"  (Dreams  on  the  Ocean)  and  "Delaware  Klange," 
while  in  America,  a  fact  which  he  recalled  with  pleasure. 
Like  Johann  Strauss,  Gung'l  was  of  a  most  genial  disposition. 
He  had  composed  more  than  one  thousand  piano-forte  pieces, 
nearly  all  of  them  arranged  for  orchestra. 

With  the  roof-garden  idea  safely  secreted  in  my  mind,  and 
considered  by  me  as  an  addition  to  the  construction  of  a 
theater,  concert  hall,  ballroom,  reading  room  and  restaurant, 
all  in  one  building,  I  sailed  for  New  York  after  a  limited  stop 
in  Europe — limited  in  time,  but  particularly  rich  in  the  new 
ideas  it  had  implanted  for  future  development. 

In  April,  1881,  I  earnestly  began  the  task  of  raising  capital 
to  construct  my  projected  building.  I  suggested  to  a  number 
of  public-spirited  and  wealthy  New  Yorkers  the  plan  of  es- 
tablishing in  the  city  a  thoroughly  European  Casino,  with 
several  novel  features  introduced.  This  suggestion  received 
such  encouragement  that  I  undertook  at  once  the  formation 
of  the  New  York  Casino  Company,  and  its  completion  meant 
six  months  of  persistent  work  on  my  part.  I  worked  un- 
ceasingly, and  personally  interviewed  at  least  two  thousand 
men,  procuring  over  five  hundred  stockholders,  including  J. 
Pierpont  Morgan,  Charles  Lanier,  Jesse  Seligman,  Cyrus  W. 
Field,  Jesse  Hoyt,  Robert  Minturn,  Isaac  Bell,  L.  L.  Lorillard, 
William  H.  Vanderbilt,  George  Peabody  Wetmore,  H.  McK. 
Twombly,  James  M.  Constable,  Chauncey  M.  Depew,  Wil- 
liam H.  Fogg,  Daniel  S.  Appleton,  Cornelius  N.  Bliss,  C.  L. 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO     33 

Tiffany,  Frederick  Kernochan,  Theodore  Havemeyer,  U.  S. 
Grant,  Jr.,  C.  C.  Baldwin,  B.  Perkins,  Chester  Griswold, 
Charles  E.  Strong,  Osgood  Welsh,  N.  K.  Honore,  Jesse  R. 
Grant,  Alfred  Youngs,  Thomas  Minford,  Baron  C.  de  Thorn- 
sen,  George  C.  Clark,  Washington  E.  Connor,  William  Cruik- 
shank,  W.  H.  De  Forest,  Robert  L.  Cutting,  Jr.,  C.  Goddard, 
J.  Low  Harriman,  C.  B.  Fosdick,  M.  V.  B.  Smith,  J.  D.  Tiles- 
ton,  William  Reitlinger,  Theodore  A.  Hummel,  E.  F.  Wins- 
low,  C.  N.  Jordan,  T.  Houston,  T.  W.  Lillie,  C.  Littlefield, 
W.  H.  M.  Sistare,  B.  B.  Kirkland,  Edward  Kemeys,  R.  P. 
Lounsbery,  Henry  W.  Bibby,  George  M.  Tooker,  R.  A.  Hag- 
gin,  Frank  T.  Wall,  N.  Y.  Mortimer,  H.  S.  Wilson,  J.  A. 
Stow,  F.  D.  Tappen,  E.  K.  Willard,  H.  Knickerbocker,  Sam- 
uel Ward,  J.  M.  Hughes,  R.  H.  Parker,  C.  T.  Barney,  J. 
McGinnis,  Jr.,  Thomas  C.  Platt,  A.  G.  Meyers,  George  F. 
Opdyke,  H.  L.  Horton,  James  A.  Garland,  George  F.  Baker, 
Juan  P.  Terry,  A.  E.  Terry,  Y.  Martinez,  Edward  Winslow, 
M.  B.  Brown,  W.  N.  Hamilton,  C.  B.  Foote,  Frank  Ehret, 
George  W.  Ballou,  John  C.  Latham,  William  Harriman,  S. 
A.  Strang,  V.  A.  Blacque,  Charles  W.  Kohlsaat,  Rudolph  W. 
Schack,  C.  I.  Tappen,  J.  M.  Libby,  J.  Whitely,  J.  D.  Prince, 
J.  J.  Lancaster,  W.  G.  Davies,  Charles  Gregory,  J.  T.  Clos- 
son,  R.  C.  Rathbone,  H.  C.  Brown,  Charles  F.  Fearing,  John 
H.  Draper,  M.  Woodruff,  N.  S.  Simpkins,  Jr.,  H.  C.  Fahne- 
stock,  Joseph  S.  Stout,  H.  C.  Oakley,  Henry  Villard,  William 
H.  Starbuck,  D.  A.  Lindley,  Horace  White,  C.  Lapsley, 
Charles  A.  Johnes,  W.  E.  Pearl,  William  D.  Searles,  W. 


34        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

H.  Duff,  H.  O.  Havemeyer,  James  Scott,  L.  C.  Murray, 
A.  H.  Dayton,  Arthur  Dyett,  L.  G.  Lockwood,  L.  M. 
Bates,  H.  C.  De  Rivera,  S.  H.  Roosevelt,  G.  H.  Palmer, 
Phil  E.  Harding,  A.  C.  Downing,  Jr.,  Paul  L.  Thebaud, 
H.  Durkee,  J.  R.  LeRoy,  William  L.  Pomeroy,  J.  F. 
Plummer,  John  H.  Scribner,  N.  Hobart,  B.  Gray,  Walter 
Langdon,  Joseph  H.  Brown,  A.  H.  Calef,  E.  A.  Treat,  E.  S. 
Auchincloss,  Charles  S.  Smith,  G.  J.  Brown,  D.  A.  Davis,  F, 
Baker,  S.  W.  Sibley,  H.  F.  Weed,  Charles  B.  Stockwell,  E.  C. 
Moore,  Gardner  B.  Charlick,  George  F.  Damon,  George  J. 
Gould,  William  Rhinelander  Stewart,  Lewis  Edwards,  Pierre 
Lorillard,  Benjamin  H.  Bristow,  Joseph  W.  Drexel,  E.  W. 
Stoughton,  William  Dowd,  Horace  Porter,  Edward  Cooper, 
Robert  G.  Remsen,  Adrian  Iselin,  Jr.,  Heber  R.  Bishop,  N. 
M.  Beckwith,  Robert  B.  Roosevelt,  Edmund  C.  Schmidt, 
William  Rhinelander,  Daniel  E.  Sickles,  and  Austin  Corbin. 
I  finally  succeeded  in  securing  over  $300,000  for  the  enter- 
prise. 

The  popularity  of  the  Newport  Casino,  at  that  time  the 
most  fashionable  place  of  the  kind  in  the  country,  suggested 
to  me  the  name  Casino  for  my  new  building,  and  while  I  was 
soliciting  subscribers,  Messrs.  Kimball  and  Wisedell,  the 
architects,  were  at  work  on  the  plans.  The  planning  of  the 
building  went  smoothly  until  I  broached  my  idea  for  a  roof 
garden.  Upon  this  declaration,  the  architects  threw  up  their 
hands,  metaphorically  speaking,  declaring  that  such  an  absurd- 
ity could  not  be.  No  roof  could  be  made  that  would  sustain 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO     35 

a  crowd,  and  if  it  were  tried,  the  people  would  fall  through 
to  the  cellar.  They  concluded  their  horrible  warnings  by 
saying : 

"How  do  you  expect  to  carry  fifteen  hundred  persons 
on  the  roof  of  a  building4?  Consider  the  tremendous 
weight!" 

"Suppose  you  built,  say,  five  additional  stories  over  the 
contemplated  building,"  I  answered.  "Would  not  the 
weight  be  as  great  as  that  of  the  proposed  roof  garden  and 
its  audience4?" 

They  answered  negatively,  explaining  that  in  the  former 
case  the  weight  would  be  divided  and  in  the  latter  concen- 
trated. But  I  persisted,  perhaps  because  I  knew  nothing  of 
architecture  and  its  limitations. 

At  this  point  it  may  be  of  interest  to  give  my  original  plan 
relative  to  the  construction  of  the  Casino  at  Broadway  and 
39th  Street,  New  York.  The  property  was  then  occupied 
as  a  coal  yard,  remote  from  any  other  place  of  amusement 
and  was  surrounded  by  numerous  vacant  lots. 

"The  building  is  to  be  of  brick  stone,  and  polished  terra 
cotta;  is  to  be  four  stories  high,  with  a  stone  tower  running 
twenty  feet  above  the  roof,  and  in  general  design  of  Moorish 
architecture.  The  basement  will  contain  the  kitchen,  store- 
rooms, steam  appurtenances,  cooling  and  fanning  apparatus — 
to  keep  the  structure  at  all  times  at  a  pleasant  temperature — 
and  the  necessary  paraphernalia  for  illumination.  The  grand 
extrance  and  lobby — forty-five  by  fifteen  feet,  is  to  be  on  the 


36        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

39th  Street  side,  and  to  guard  against  every  emergency  there 
are  to  be  eight  twelve- foot  exits. 

"On  the  Broadway  ground-floor  front  the  restaurant,  cafe 
and  reading  room — under  the  supervision  of  one  of  our  best 
known  restaurateurs — are  to  be  situated,  and  will  be  fitted  up 
sumptuously  in  Louis  Quatorze  style.  The  room  will  be 
eighty  feet  square. 

"Two  wide  stone  stairways  are  to  lead  from  the  3Qth  Street 
entrance  to  the  foyer  and  theater,  the  latter  sufficiently  large 
to  accommodate  1,500  persons,  and  to  be  fitted  up  in  light 
woods,  and  decorated  in  white,  blue  and  gold,  similar  to  the 
theater  attached  to  the  Newport  Casino.  Here  during  the 
summer,  light  comedies  and  operettas  will  be  performed  in 
conjunction  with  the  regular  concerts,  which  will  take  place 
on  the  roof  garden  and  in  winter  it  will  be  used  for  lectures, 
meetings,  concerts,  private  theatricals,  balls,  etc.  An  open 
balcony  or  terrace  is  to  encircle  the  third  story,  looking  directly 
into  the  theater,  and  be  so  arranged  that  during  the  fall  and 
winter  it  may  be  inclosed  wjith  glass  casings,  and  be  used  as  a 
foyer  as  well  as  for  floral  and  art  exhibitions. 

"The  fourth  story,  or  roof,  will  be  laid  out  as  a  beautiful 
summer  garden,  and  besides  being  prettily  illuminated,  will 
be  ornamented  with  many  rare  exotics,  to  be  loaned  by  sev- 
eral of  the  stockholders.  The  music  stand  is  to  be  so  con- 
structed, with  a  new  form  of  sounding-board,  that  the  orches- 
tra will  be  distinctly  heard  throughout  the  building.  A  suite 
of  rooms,  forty  by  seventy-five  feet,  with  separate  entrance  on 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO     37 

Broadway,  is  to  be  set  apart  from  the  hall  and  theater,  so  that 
private  entertainments  can  take  place  without  any  interfer- 
ence from  other  parts  of  the  structure.  One  of  the  features 
of  the  Casino  is  to  be  its  admirable  arrangements  for  balls, 
etc.,  there  being  adequate  ladies'  and  gentlemen's  retiring 
rooms,  and  every  other  convenience  for  such  occasions." 

The  tremendous  success  of  the  first  operetta  presented  at 
the  Casino  entirely  changed  my  original  policy,  and  eliminated 
the  real  Casino  features  of  my  enterprise. 

In  1880,  when  I  leased  the  land  upon  which  the  Casino  is 
built,  the  rent  was  $10,000  and  taxes  annually,  my  company 
agreeing  to  construct  the  building  to  cost  not  less  than  $100,- 
ooo.  At  the  expiration  of  the  lease,  the  building  reverted 
to  the  owners  of  the  land,  who  I  understand  are  now  (1912) 
receiving  approximately  $65,000  annual  rental! 

I  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  I  was  resolved  to  have  a  roof 
garden,  and  if  I  could  not  have  a  roof  garden  I  should  want 
no  building.  I  finally  persuaded  the  architects  to  give  the 
matter  further  consideration  and  when  I  saw  them  again, 
forty-eight  hours  later,  they  told  me  a  way  had  been  found 
to  meet  all  the  difficulties.  They  had  devised  a  way  of 
strengthening  the  foundations  as  much  as  possible  and  using 
extra  heavy  girders. 

With  this  I  was  satisfied,  and  in  December,  1881,  ground 
was  broken  for  the  building  of  the  Casino.  My  intention 
was  not  to  devote  the  Casino  exclusively  to  operetta  perform- 
ances and  concerts,  but  to  make  its  uses  more  extended. 


38        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Having  raised,  as  I  thought,  sufficient  money  for  all  pur- 
poses, and  the  architects  having  the  plans  for  construction 
well  in  hand,  I  sailed  for  Europe  in  January,  1882,  in  quest 
of  attractions  for  my  new  enterprise.  I  again  visited  Herr 
Johann  Strauss,  in  Vienna,  and  made  him  an  offer  to  direct 
with  his  orchestra  a  season  of  popular  concerts  at  the  Casino 
in  New  York.  But  the  Waltz  King  had  positively  resolved 
never  again  to  cross  the  ocean,  the  memory  of  severe  seasick- 
ness endured  on  his  one  trip  being  sufficient  to  deter  him. 
Sadly  disappointed  in  this  failure,  I  went  to  Paris,  hoping 
there  to  find  the  composer  I  should  consider  worthy  of  pre- 
siding at  the  opening  of  my  Casino. 

At  that  time  the  reigning  dance-music  favorite  as  writer 
and  conductor  was  Monsieur  Emile  Waldteufel,  who  was  a 
jolly,  middle-aged  gentleman,  and  a  delightful  companion, 
and  whose  popular  waltzes,  "Manola,"  "Violettes,"  "Tres 
Jolie,"  etc.,  I  first  presented  to  the  American  public  at  my 
concerts  at  the  Metropolitan  Concert  Hall  in  New  York. 

During  a  luncheon  with  me  at  the  Cafe  de  la  Paix, 
Monsieur  Waldteufel  regretfully  declined  my  invitation  that 
he  and  his  orchestra  open  the  Casino.  His  declination,  he 
assured  me,  was  solely  due  to  his  engagements  not  only  at  the 
"Elysee"  for  the  Presidential  and  other  official  functions, 
but  numberless  private  affairs  long  contracted  for. 

Undaunted  by  my  double  disappointment,  I  visited  the 
illustrious  master  of  music,  Charles  Gounod,  in  hisj  artistically 


N 


J  '} 
*    i 


?  *» 


fr  x5    '4    ' 

s    ^  I" 


^] 


•4  ? 
<>  I 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO     39 

appointed  apartment  on  the  Boulevard  Malesherbes.  It  was 
early  in  the  forenoon  when  I  called,  and,  as  it  was  Monsieur 
Gounod's  custom  to  exercise  in  fencing  at  the  hour  I  had 
selected,  I  found  him  sheathed  in  a  leather  costume  and  with 
a  foil  in  his  hand.  Plunging  at  once  into  the  purpose  of  my 
visit  I  said: 

"Maitre,  I  desire  you  as  the  greatest  French  composer  to 
write  an  Inauguration  March  for  the  Casino  now  in  course 
of  construction  in  New  York,  the  city  where  your  'Faust,' 
'Romeo  et  Juliette'  and  many  of  your  other  works  have  met 
with  such  magnificent  success." 

"That  is  a  little  out  of  my  line,"  he  replied,  ccbut  let  me 
consider  and  I  will  communicate  with  you." 

In  the  course  of  the  following  day  his  letter  came : 

26  Fevrier  1882. 
My  dear  Mr.  Aronson: — 

As  I  said  to  you,  400  Guineas  is  the  amount  fixed,  for  all  rights 

of  a  march  for  orchestra  and  chorus.     Said  march  shall  be  delivered 

in  Paris  between  April  25th  and  3Oth  on  the  payment  of  that  amount. 

The  purchaser  of  the  march  can  make  any  arrangement  for  same 

that  he  desires.     That  is  his  affair — and  I  have  no  right  to  interfere. 

Very  truly  yours, 

CH.  GOUNOD. 

P.  S.  In  order  that  the  march  shall  be  delivered  between  April 
25th  and  3Oth,  it  is  necessary  that  I  have  the  words — at  the  latest 
— between  March  loth  and  I5th. 

CH.  Go. 

Exclusive  copyright  for  a  march  for  orchestra  and  chorus  for  the 
inauguration  of  the  concerts  of  the  Grand  Casino  of  New  York. 
400  Guineas. 


40        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

To  my  regret,  however,  this  offer  was  declined  by  the  direc- 
tors of  my  Company. 

It  was  upon  this  visit  to  Paris  that  I  hadi  the  great  pleasure 
of  meeting  another  master,  the  distinguished  composer,  Mon- 
sieur Massenet.  My  meeting  with  him  was  at  the  Grand 
Opera,  when  one  of  his  own  masterpieces,  "Le  Roi  de  Lahore," 
was  being  performed.  In  the  course  of  our  conversation  I 
said  to  him: 

"Do  you  know,  Maztre,  that  your  works  are  immensely 
popular  in  America?  In  fact,  just  before  I  sailed,  I  heard 
your  'Scenes  Napolitaines'  at  a  Theodore  Thomas  Concert  in 
New  York  and  the  large  audience  was  entranced  with  its 
characteristic  beauty  and  its  magnificent  instrumentation." 

The  master  looked  at  me  with  unfeigned  surprise,  and  in 
a  voice  sincerely  enthusiastic  asked: 

"Do  you  mean  to  say,  my  friend,  that  my  music  is  already 
played  over  there*?" 

I  quote  this  to  show  in  an  imperfect  way  the  simplicity  of 
this  very  remarkable  genius,  whose  works,  including  "Poeme 
d'Avril"  "Scenes  Hongroises,"  "Scenes  Pittoresques," 
"Scenes  Napolitaines,"  "Overture  a  Phedre,"  "Don  Cesar  de 
Bazan,"  "Marie-Madeleine,"  "Eve"  "Le  Roi  de  Lahore," 
"La  Vierge,"  "Manon,"  "Herodiade,"  "Le  Cid,"  "Esclara- 
monde,"  "Le  Mage,"  "Werther,"  "Thais,"  "La  Navarraise," 
"Sapho,"  "Cendrillon,"  "Griselidis,"  "Le  Jongleur  de  Notre 
Dame,"  "Cherubin,"  "Ariane,"  "Don  Quichotte,"  and 
"Roma,"  are  performed  the  world  over. 


MASSENET 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO     41 

In  1906  while  in  Paris  I  fixed  an  appointment  with  the 
great  master  at  his  little  studio  in  the  Menestrel — No.  2  bis 
rue  Vivienne — otherwise  known  as  Heugel  et  Cie,  his  pub- 
lishers, where  on  certain  days  and  hours  of  the  week  he 
courteously  gave  audiences  to  operatic  and  concert  aspirants, 
instructing  and  advising  them  in  thei  proper  interpretation 
of  his  works.  On  that  occasion  I  suggested  that  the  com- 
poser give  a  few  moments  of  his  valuable  time  to  Mr.  Paris 
Chambers,  a  cornetist,  who  had  just  arrived  in  the  French 
Capital.  Although  he  was  at  first  averse  to  listening  to  a 
cornet  player  he  finally  agreed. 

Mr.  Chambers  was  presented,  and  he  then  charmed  Mas- 
senet with  his  interpretation  on  the  cornet  of  the  composer's 
beautiful  "Elegie,"  accompanied  on  the  piano  by  Massenet 
himself.  Rising,  he  complimented  Mr.  Chambers  and  said, 
"I  have  just  composed  a  little  song  'Je  t'aime,'  which  ought 
to  make  fine  effect  on  the  cornet  when  performed  by  an  artist 
like  yourself."  Mr.  Massenet  first  played  it  on  the  piano, 
and  then  Chambers  "went  over  it"  to  the  evident  delight  of 
Massenet,  who  was  recognized  by  artists  the  world  over  as 
a  marvelous  coach,  a  born  stage  director,  an  artist  to  his  finger 
tips,  kind  and  gentle  and  yet  insistent  upon  what  he  con- 
sidered proper  interpretation. 

During  the  winter  of  1911  I  met  Massenet  for  the  last 
time  in  Paris,  just  as  he  was  leaving  the  Menestrel  to  enter 
his  carriage.  He  was  wrapped  in  an  immense  shawl  which 
almost  covered  his  face,  for  he  was  very  susceptible  to  colds. 


42        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

I  again  suggested  a  tour  in  America,  and  this  time  the  great 
master  answered,  "Very,  very  sorry;  not  only  because  I  fear 
the  ocean  trip,  but  now  I  am  too  old."  He  was  then  sixty- 
nine  years  of  age.  He  died  August  14th,  1912. 

He  was  undoubtedly  the  greatest  melodist  and  orchestra- 
tor  France  ever  produced,  and  his  works  will  remain  to  the 
world  as  everlasting  monuments  for  this  prolific  genius. 

Had  I  not  succeeded  in  carrying  out  my  Casino  enterprise, 
I  should  have  followed  a  course  of  studies  in  orchestration 
with  Massenet,  from  whom  I  was  the  recipient  of  many 
valued  letters  of  which  the  following  was  one  of  the  most 
interesting. 

Paris,  Nov.  24th,  1911. 
Mr.  Rudolph  Aronson, 
227  Riverside  Drive, 

New  York,  America. 
Dear  great  friend: — 

Your  letter  and  the  clipping  from  the  newspaper  gave  me  much 
pleasure.     From  you  I  have  also  news  of  my  works  in  America ! 
How  amiable  and  good  you  are,  and  how  much  I  thank  you. 

Faithfully  yours, 

J.  MASSENET. 

What  course  could  be  pursued  so  that  the  director  of  the  opera 
or  those  who  write  the  advertisements  for  the  theater  and  news- 
papers would  be  prevented  from  always  quoting  my  name  incor- 
rectly? 

My  scores  have  printed  thereon 

Music  by 
/.  Massenet 

and  never,  emphatically  never,  the  entire  first  name  but  the  initial 
only  written  otherwise,  my  name  becomes  altered,  and  eventually 
this  fantastic  inaccuracy  must  disappear. 


i  J    3 
J  1    I 


•4.i 


A 


2    s 

x;  '5 


.> 


I  1 

;  T '      ?- 

-I     3 


* 


* 


INCEPTION  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  CASINO     43 

Ah!  how  much  I  would  like  you  to  make  known  to  the  theater 
management  my  rectification ;  in  that  case,  the  advertisements  would 
then  be  correct!  and  the  newspapers  would  follow  the  good  ex- 
ample.* 

I  endeavored  on  several  occasions  to  engage  Massenet  for 
a  short  tour  in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  to  conduct  and 
supervise  his  own  works,  but  he  always  declined,  fearing  the 
ocean  crossing.  On  one  occasion  he  said  to  me  that  some 
time  previously  he  had  accepted  an  engagement  to  conduct 
some  of  his  works  in  Algiers,  but  arriving  at  Marseilles  with 
his  baggage,  he  noticed  the  roughness  of  the  water  and  de- 
cided then  and  there  not  to  risk  the  sea  trip,  and  returned  to 
Paris  by  the  first  train. 

*  This  tempest  in  a  teapot  was  occasioned  on  account  of  Massenet's  strenuous 
objection  to  his  own  name  "Jules." 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  CASINO 


CHAPTER  IV 
THE  OPENING  OF  THE  CASINO 

Inauguration  of  the  Unfinished  Playhouse  in  1882  with  Strauss' 
"The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief" — Beginning  of  the  First 
Continuous  Series  of  Sunday  Popular  Concerts — First 
Meeting  of  the  Directors  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House 
in  the  Casino,  1883. 

THE  declination  of  both  Strauss  and  Waldteufel,  though 
a  great  disappointment  to  me,  did  not  divert  me  from 
my  original  thought  that  the  opening  attraction  at  the 
Casino  must  be  of  a  popular  foreign  flavor.  It  occurred  to  me 
that  inasmuch  as  Maurice  Grau  had  engaged  the  operetta 
queen,  Madame  Theo,  creator  of  La  Jolie  Parfumeuse,  Pomme 
d'Api  and  other  Offenbach  roles,  for  a  winter  season  of  oper- 
etta, she  and  her  company  to  perform  in  French,  I  should  do 
well  to  negotiate  with  that  manager  and  also  with  Mr. 
D'Oyley  Carte,  manager  of  the  Savoy  Theater,  London,  in- 
tending from  the  latter  to  secure  a  new  Gilbert  and  Sullivan 
opera.  With  Mr.  Carte  I  arranged  also  that  the  Casino  be  il- 
luminated throughout  with  the  same  kind  of  admirable  elec- 
tric apparatus  as  that  used  in  the  Savoy  Theater. 

An  irritating  slowness  of  the  work  occasioned  by  difficult 
rock  excavations  where  the  Casino  was  to  be  built,  hastened 
my  return  to  New  York,  where  I  arrived  in  April,  1882.  I 


48        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

used  every  argument  and  effort  to  hurry  the  architects  and 
contractors,  and  finally,  after  numerous  postponements,  they 
agreed  to  deliver  the  completed  building  to  me  on  September 
nth,  1882.  This  definite  promise  enabled  me  to  negotiate 
with  Mr.  D'Oyley  Carte  for  the  presentation  of  a  Gilbert 
and  Sullivan  opera.  I  also  closed  by  cable  an  arrangement 
with  Mr.  Maurice  Grau  for  the  appearance  of  Madame  Theo 
and  her  company  on  the  above  mentioned  date. 

Work  on  the  Casino  was  continued  day  and  night,  but  the 
elaborate  and  artistic  exterior  as  well  as  the  interior  wood 
carving  and  plaster  panels  covering  walls  and  ceilings,  re- 
quired so  much  attention,  that  it  became  evident  that  the 
theater  portion  alone  could  be  completed  by  the  date  set. 

On  many  occasions  until  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  was 
in  the  workroom  of  the  Casino  watching  Mr.  Thomas  Wise- 
dell,  one  of  the  architects,  busily  engaged  planning  and  draw- 
ing in  detail  the  artistic  panels  of  correct  Moorish  design  for 
embellishing  the  interior  of  the  building,  and  it  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  Mr.  Wisedell's  overwork  and  strenuosity  brought 
about  his  demise  just  before  the  completion  of  the  Casino. 

Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  author  of  "The  Light  of  Asia,"  and  one 
of  the  world's  foremost  authorities  on  Moorish  architecture, 
during  his  lecture  tour  in  America,  visited  the  Casino  many 
times,  made  sketches  of  the  entrance  portals  and  other  parts 
of  the  ornamental  exterior  and  of  the  interior  panels.  Sir 
Edwin  said  to  me  that  the  Casino  was  the  finest  example  of 
Moorish  architecture  he  had  encountered. 


THE  CASINO.  NEW  YORK 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  CASINO  49 

On  August  24th,  1882,  receiving  a  hearty  welcome  on  her 
first  visit  to  America,  Madame  Theo  arrived  in  New  York 
by  the  steamer  Labrador,  accompanied  by  her  manager, 
Maurice  Grau,  and  her  company  of  forty-six  people.  Her 
repertoire  included  "Madame  L'Archiduc,"  "La  Mascotte," 
"La  Jolie  Parfumeuse,"  "Le  Grand  Casimir,"  "Les  Cloches 
de  Comeville,"  "La  Marjolaine,"  "Niniche,"  "Bagatelle," 
and  "Pomme  d'Api." 

To  my  sincere  regret,  and  despite  the  efforts  we  all  made, 
the  Casino  could  not  be  made  ready  for  opening  on  the  date 
arranged  and  Maurice  Grau  most  reluctantly  was  compelled 
to  transfer  Madame  Theo  and  her  company  to  the  Fifth 
Avenue  Theater,  where  she  achieved  a  pronounced  success. 

Negotiations  were  then  entered  into  with  Mr.  Samuel  Grau, 
brother  of  Maurice  Grau,  representing  Mr.  John  A.  McCaull, 
whose  operetta  company  was  at.  that  time  playing  at  the 
Bijou  Opera  House,  New  York,  for  an  opening  date.  This 
I  made  sufficiently  distant — October  2 1st,  1882 — to  provide 
for  every  delay.  I  told  Mr.  Grau  I  had  recently  heard  in 
Vienna,  "The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief,"  by  Johann 
Strauss,  and  if  that  operetta  could  be  secured  and  presented 
with  an  adequate  cast  I  should  be  willing  to  accept  it  for  our 
opening.  I  explained  to  him  that  by  an  adequate  cast  I 
meant  an  exceptionally  large  chorus  and  an  orchestra  of 
thirty  musicians,  a  number  never  before  engaged  in  operetta 
performances  in  America.  To  this  he  assented. 

Fortunately  Mr.  Townsend  Percy  had  secured  the  Amer- 


50        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

lean  rights  of  "The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief"  and  had 
made  an  English  translation  and  adaptation.  Mr.  McCaull 
had  under  engagement  an  able  conductor,  Herr  Ernst  Caten- 
husen,  admirably  fitted  to  direct  a  Strauss  operetta. 

After  very  careful  perusal  and  acceptance  of  the  libretto 
the  following  cast  was  selected: 

The  King Miss  Louise  Paullin 

The  Queen Miss  Lilly  Post 

Donna  Irene Miss  Mathilde  Cottrelly 

Marquise  of  Villareal Miss  Jennie  Reiffarth 

Cervantes   Signor  Perugini 

Count  Villalobos Mr.  Jos.  S.  Greensfelder 

Don  Sancho Mr.  George  Gaston 

Don  Quixote Mr.  Jay  Taylor 

Minister  of  War Mr.  Harry  Standish 

I  entered  into  an  agreement  with  Mr.  McCaull  for  the  pres- 
entation of  this  work  at  the  Casino. 

Rehearsals  were  assiduously  held,  extra  workmen  were  re- 
quisitioned and  all  seemed  to  augur  well  for  the  inaugura- 
tion on  October  2ist;  but  it  was  another  case  of  "man  pro- 
poses." The  elaborateness  of  the  decorations  again  inter- 
fered and  another  postponement  appeared  to  be  inevitable. 
McCaull,  though,  with  a  big,  expensive  company  on  his 
hands,  insisted  on  opening. 

And  open  I  did! 

On  October  22nd  the  first  Sunday  gala  concert  was  given 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  CASINO  51 

in  the  unfinished  Casino  by  members  of  both  of  Maurice 
Grau's  opera  companies  and  an  orchestra  of  sixty  musicians 
under  my  conductorship.  This  was  the  first  Sunday  concert 
beginning  a  regular  course  of  Sunday  concerts  ever  given  in 
the  United  States. 

Following  the  concert  six  more  performances  of  "The 
Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief"  were  given  under  most  unfavor- 
able conditions,  owing  to  the  continued  low  temperature  in 
the  Casino. 

Swallowtail  coats  were  in  view  up  to  half  past  eight  p.  M., 
but  overcoats,  hats,  and  wraps  began  to  be  de  rigueur  before 
nine  o'clock,  and  during  the  entr'actes,  ladies  and  gentlemen 
tramped  about  the  foyer  to  keep  warm!  So  notwithstand- 
ing the  comparatively  good  business,  I  decided  to  close  the 
theater  and  to  reopen  it  in  a  complete  condition  on  December 
28th,  1882.  "The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief"  took  to  the 
road  in  the  interim  and  played  to  excellent  business  in  Phila- 
delphia, Chicago  and  other  cities.  It  returned  to  New  York 
in  time  for  the  above  date,  when  a  reception  for  the  stock- 
holders of  the  New  York  Casino  Company,  the  press  and  in- 
vited guests  took  place,  the  program  consisting  of  an  intro- 
ductory concert  by  an  orchestra  of  fifty  musicians  under  my 
conductorship,  followed  by  the  Second  Act  of  "The  Queen's 
Lace  Handkerchief." 

"The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief"  opened  the  completed 
Casino  on  December  3Oth,  and  the  cast  was  that  of  the  pre- 
vious presentations,  except  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Francis  Wilson, 


52        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

who  replaced  Mr.  Gaston  as  Don  Sancho.  The  theater  was 
filled  to  its  utmost  capacity  and  the  audience  proclaimed  the 
play  a  success,  a  judgment  fully  verified  by  the  succeeding 
one  hundred  and  thirty  performances.  This  opera  was  with- 
drawn only  to  make  room  for  the  Maurice  Grau  French  Opera 
Company,  in  accordance  with  an  agreement  previously  en- 
tered into. 

Following  five  Jullien  concerts  with  my  orchestra  and 
famous  vocal  and  instrumental  soloists,  including  Emma 
Thursby,  Emma  Juch,  Zelda  Seguin,  Emily  Winant,  Teresa 
Carreno,  Alexander  Lambert,  Louis  Blumenberg  and  Jules 
Levy,  the  French  Opera  Company  was  scheduled  to  appear 
with  Madame  Theo  on  March  lyth,  1883.  Madame  Theo 
played  in  "La  Jolie  Parfumeuse"  with  great  success.  Later 
Victor  Capoul  with  Madame  Deri  vis  appeared  in  Gounod's 
"Romeo  et  Juliette"  and  Masse's  "Paul  et  Virginie,"  and 
during  the  last  week  of  their  engagement  Madame  Theo  and 
Capoul  appeared  conjointly  in  "La  Fille  de  Madame  Angot" 
and  "La  Mascotte."  These  productions  were  followed  by 
Gilbert  and  Sullivan's  "Sorcerer,"  presented  by  the  McCaull 
Opera  Company,  including  Lillian  Russell,  Laura  Joyce, 
Madeline  Lucette,  Louise  Paullin,  Julia  De  Ruyther,  John 
Howson,  Digby  Bell,  George  Olmi,  Charles  J.  Campbell  and 
A.  W.  Maflin.  On  May  5th  Offenbach's  amusing  operetta, 
"The  Princess  of  Trebizond,"  was  produced  with  a  cast  em- 
bracing most  of  the  capable  artists  mentioned  above.  "The 
Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief"  was  revived  on  June  nth  and 


MADAME   THEO 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  CASINO  53 

continued  until  July  7th,  making  a  total  of  two  hundred  and 
thirty-four  performances  to  its  credit  at  the  Casino. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  directors  of  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  House,  then  in  course  of  construction  on  a  site  diag- 
onally opposite  to  the  Casino,  was  held  in  the  foyer  of 
the  Casino  on  May  23rd,  1883.  Among  those  present  were 
Messrs.  William  K.  Vanderbilt,  Robert  Goelet,  Adrian 
Isclin,  George  F.  Baker,  Henry  Clews,  William  C.  Whitney, 
G.  Henry  Warren,  James  L.  Breese,  A.  Cutting,  J.  W. 
Drexel,  R.  T.  Wilson,  D.  O.  Mills,  George  Peabody  Wet- 
more,  H.  McK.  Twombly,  James  A.  Roosevelt  and  George  G. 
Haven. 


THE  WORLD'S  FIRST  ROOF  GARDEN 


CHAPTER  V 
THE  WORLD'S  FIRST  ROOF  GARDEN 

Inauguration  on  July  7,  1883 — Francis  Wilson  and  "The  Dotlet 
on  the  I" — "The  Merry  War"  from  in  Front  and  Behind 
the  Curtain  at  the  Casino — The  Home  of  Comic  Opera. 

THE  inauguration  of  the  world's  first  roof  garden  on 
July  yth,   1883,  brought  realization  to  my  dreams. 
The  Champs  Elysees  had  been  transported  to  Broad- 
way; the  Ambassadeurs  lifted  from  Paris  and  placed  upon  the 
roof  of  a  building  in  New  York. 

The  New  York  Herald  in  commenting  upon  the  opening 
of  the  roof  garden  on  top  of  the  Casino  had  this  to  say  in  its 
issue  of  July  8th,  1883: 

"The  buffet  floor  and  garden  on  the  roof  of  the  Casino  were 
opened  yesterday  evening  for  the  first  time  and  were  much 
admired  by  a  large  gathering  of  visitors.  The  buffet  floor, 
which  is  over  the  top  floor  of  the  theater  proper,  is  beautifully 
decorated  in  light  blue,  gold  and  silver,  like  the  theater  foyers. 
A  cafe  provides  coffee,  ice-cream  and  light  beverages.  A 
number  of  those  who  visited  the  Casino  last  evening,  strolled 
around  the  buffet  floor  or  sat  at  the  tables  and  regaled  them- 
selves with  cooling  refreshments,  while  listening  to  the  per- 
formance of  'The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief.'  At  the  close 
of  the  opera  Mr.  Aronson's  orchestra  took  possession  of  the 

57 


58        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

small  stage  at  the  end  of  the  buffet  floor  (over  the  proscenium 
arch)  and  played  a  few  popular  selections,  delighting  quite 
a  large  audience  on  the  roof  which  has  been  transformed  into 
a  garden.  There  are  plenty  of  shrubs  and  bright  flowers  well 
arranged,  and  a  number  of  rustic  seats.  Arches  of  gas  jets, 
which  shine  through  vari-colored  globes,  make  the  scene  bril- 
liant and  enchanting.  The  rustic  seats  were  well  filled  all 
the  evening,  and  the  promenade  was  very  popular.  The 
cooling  breeze  was  most  refreshing.  The  buffet  floor  and 
garden  cannot  fail  to  be  a  most  popular  addition  to  the 
Casino's  attractions.  The  outside  lights  around  the  buffet 
and  roof  lit  up  effectively  the  exterior  of  the  building.  'The 
Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief  received  its  last  performance  last 
evening  and  the  ladies  received  lace  handkerchiefs  as  memen- 
toes of  the  occasion." 

The  New  York  World  of  July  8th,  1883,  commented  as 
follows : 

"Without  any  doubt  New  York  has  now,  for  the  first  time 
a  summer  garden  and  a  summer  theater  combined,  which 
make  a  place  of  amusement  worthy  of  the  metropolis. 

"The  Casino  last  night  threw  open  its  cafe  and  its  garden 
on  the  roof,  and  in  addition  to  the  opera  proper,  The  Queen's 
Lace  Handkerchief  being  in  full  swing,  these  new  features  of 
the  already  popular  house  drew  together  all  the  first-nighters 
in  town.  The  colored  lights  blazed  from  the  roof  and  lit 
Broadway  and  Thirty-ninth  Street  for  blocks,  and  at  nine 
o'clock,  there  was  a  row  of  promenaders,  looking  down  from 


THE  WORLD'S  FIRST  ROOF  GARDEN        59 

the  Moorish  balcony,  upon  the  groups  in  the  street,  and  over 
the  roofs  of  the  city,  wet  with  the  shower  that  had  just  passed. 

"In  the  construction  of  the  Casino  the  attempt  had  been 
made  to  combine  the  opera-house,  the  cafe,  the  summer  gar- 
den, and  the  promenade  in  an  unexampled  feat  of  architec- 
ture. Mr.  Aronson  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  success  of 
his  attempt.  It  is  now  possible  to  sit  at  a  table  and  drink 
your  beer  or  wine  fanned  by  the  night  breeze  and  at  the  same 
time  look  down  upon  the  performance  of  a  comic  opera  or 
listen  to  the  music  of  Mr.  Aronson's  orchestra. 

"What  are  ordinarily  galleries,  are  here  great  open  spaces 
with  tables,  through  which  the  air  circulates  freely,  and  the 
topmost  gallery  of  all  being  on  the  roof,  is  literally  a  garden 
with  tropical  plants  in  profusion  and  colored  lights  trans- 
forming it  into  a  fairy  bower,  with  no  other  roof  than  the 
cool  starry  sky. 

"The  whole  aspect  of  the  Casino,  now  that  it  begins  to  de- 
velop its  summer  resources,  is  unique  and  charming.  There 
is  nothing  like  it  in  America  and  we  question  whether  there 
is  anything  exactly  like  it,  in  the  world.  Whether  it  will 
with  its  coolness,  its  seductive  performance  and  its  indomitable 
Aronson,  woo  the  people  of  New  York  in  the  heated  term  re- 
mains to  be  seen.  One  thing  is  certain,  however,  that  every- 
thing has  been  done  to  overcome  the  seasonable  objections  to 
amusements,  and  the  Casino  ought  to  be  the  most  popular 
resort  in  town  while  the  dog  star  rages." 

To  show  all  that  can  be  done  in  music  is  not  the  only  re- 


60        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

quirement  of  a  manager.  In  the  process  of  this  showing  are 
many  difficulties  that  perplex  and  tremendously  irritate.  An 
imperative  requirement  is  for  a  manager  to  keep  his  head  in 
spite  of  these. 

It  is  rumored  that  when  Sappho  added  two  strings  to  the 
lute  she  felt  more  gratified  than  she  did  over  all  the  poetry 
she  had  written  and  all  the  scholars  she  had  taught.  I  may 
be  pardoned  for  making  even  modest  comparison  with  an 
artist  so  famous  as  Sappho,  but  my  gratification  was  likewise 
beyond  measure  when  I  knew  that  I  had  rightly  calculated 
the  preference  of  the  people  and  that  I  was  adding  my  bit  to 
the  gayety  of  the  nation.  These  little  satisfactions  are  com- 
pensation for  the  little  annoyances,  and  the  latter  are  for- 
gotten in  the  accomplishments  of  which  they  form  an  un- 
avoidable part. 

As  I  stated  before,  "The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief"  ran 
at  the  Casino  for  two  hundred  and  thirty-four  presentations, 
a  phenomenal  run  in  those  days.  The  remarkable  success  of 
this  operetta  prompted  me  to  seek  other  Strauss  compositions, 
and  "Prinz,  Methusalem"  most  fortunately  was  my  selection. 
One  hundred  and  two  performances  were  given  and  they  were 
all  crowded.  No  let-up  in  excitement  came  with  the  termina- 
tion of  "Prinz  Methusalem,"  wherein  Francis  Wilson  in  his 
interpretation  of  a  topical  song  "The  Dotlet  on  the  I"  scored 
an  enormous  success,  for  I  was  overwhelmed  with  a  shower 
of  injunctions  that  I  fought  with  counter  injunctions.  All 
of  these  were  incited  by  my  announcement  that  I  would  pre- 


THE  WORLD'S  FIRST  ROOF  GARDEN        61 

sent  Millocker's  "The  Beggar  Student,"  which  in  its  turn 
achieved  much  popularity.  Next  the  lure  of  Strauss' 
"Merry  War"  attracted  me  as  it  did  almost  all  New  York. 
The  Casino  was  thronged  while  the  "Merry  War"  was  there, 
and  its  charming  waltz,  sung  by  Signor  Perugini,  was  received 
by  the  public  with  as  great  an  enthusiasm  as  was  the  waltz  in 
Lehar's  "Merry  Widow"  in  after  years. 

Thus  was  the  Casino  established  as  the  home  of  comic 
opera.  The  success  I  had  met  with  confirmed  my  belief  that 
the  public  had  tired  of  the  terror  and  melancholy  conveyed  to 
its  mind  by  the  plays  that  had  enthralled  it,  and  was  eager 
to  exchange  tears  for  laughter.  The  people  proved  more 
than  ready  to  support  productions  whose  music  belonged  to 
a  bright  and  merry  school  and  was  wedded  to  a  plot  that  was 
romantic  and  humorous.  The  compositions  of  the  great  mas- 
ters awaken  thoughts  that  have  lain  dormant  in  the  human 
brain,  as  though  dreams  were  being  realized,  and  it  was  my 
wish  to  arouse  these  pleasant  sensations  with  light  music,  that 
all  could  appreciate  because  all  could  understand. 

While  a  stage  "Merry  War"  was  amusing  thousands  of 
auditors,  a  veritable  merry  war  was  raging  between  a  certain 
prominent  manager  and  me.  The  cause  of  it  was  a  contract 
I  had  with  him,  which  was  to  expire  on  May  1st,  1885,  and 
which  I  declined  to  extend  for  one  more  year. 

This  manager  thereupon  allied  himself  with  a  dissatisfied 
stockholder  at  the  Casino  and  undertook  to  give  me  trouble. 
The  alleged  grievance  of  the  stockholder  was  that  my  door- 


62        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

keeper  had  refused  to  recognize  that  gentleman's  non-transfer- 
able card  of  admission  when  it  was  presented  by  the  stock- 
holder's servant.  The  stockholder  then  brought  a  suit 
against  me  as  president  of  the  company  and  manager  of  the 
Casino.  After  a  lengthy,  costly  and  irritating  suit  a  deci- 
sion was  given  in  my  favor. 


FIRST  PERFORMANCE  OF  "ERMINIE' 


CHAPTER  VI 
FIRST  PERFORMANCE  OF  "ERMINIE" 

Lillian  Russell's  Appearance  in  "Polly" — 'Heinrich  Conried  and 
His  Connection  with  the  Casino — The  Beginning  of 
"Erminie,"  the  Most  Successful  Operetta  of  Modern 
Times — The  Author's  Prediction  of  Failure — Other  Works 
by  Offenbach,  Lecocq,  Audran,  Millocker,  Gilbert  and 
Sullivan,  etc. 

WHEN  the  manager  had  ended  his  season  at  the 
Casino  the  operetta  "Polly"  was  presented,  hav- 
ing Miss  Lillian  Russell  as  the  "pet  of  the  regi- 
ment."    Miss  Russell's  husband,  Mr.  Edward  Solomon,  was 
composer  of  the  music,  and  he  had  but  recently  arrived  in 
this  country,  coming  with  her  from  England. 

"Polly"  enjoyed  a  run  of  eight  weeks,  when  it  was  removed 
to  give  place  to  "Billee  Taylor,"  another  of  Mr.  Solomon's 
operas.  Miss  Russell  was  also  in  this  opera  and  it  ran  until 
the  end  of  June,  1885. 

About  this  time  there  were  rumors  that  another  theater  was 
to  be  erected  in  a  central  locality  in  New  York,  with  a  roof 
garden  somewhat  similar  to  the  one  on  the  Casino.  I  im- 
mediately consulted  my  attorneys,  had  drawings  of  the  Casino 

65 


66        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

roof  garden  prepared,  and  sent  them  with  the  necessary  docu- 
ments to  the  Patent  Office  at  Washington,  applying  for  a 
patent. 

The  authorities  informed  me  that  a  patent  would  have 
cheerfully  been  granted,  because  the  roof  garden  was  a  boon 
to  the  public,  but  that  they  were  deterred  from  granting 
same,  because  my  application  was  not  made  within  one  year 
of  its  inauguration. 

Immediately  following  "Billee  Taylor,"  Zell  and  Genee's 
"Nanon"  was  produced  under  my  own  management.  "Na- 
non"  was  staged  by  Mr.  Heinrich  Conried,  who  afterward  be- 
came director  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  and  it 
achieved  great  success.  It  was  followed  by  other  successes, 
Czibulka's  "Amorita"  and  Strauss'  "Gypsy  Baron,"  which 
also  were  staged  by  Mr.  Conried  in  a  most  sumptuous  man- 
ner. 

During  this  German  operetta  invasion,  and  at  the  urgent 
request  of  Mr.  Conried,  I  was  promoted  from  manager  of  the 
Casino  to  god-father  of  his  (Conried's)  son  Richard! 

The  date  May  loth,  1886,  will  long  be  marked  in  the  his- 
tory of  comic  opera,  because  on  that  evening  I  began  the  pres- 
entation of  "Erminie,"  the  most  successful  operetta  of  mod- 
ern times.  This  marvelous  operetta  was  staged  by  Mr. 
Harry  Paul  ton,  the  author  of  its  libretto,  and  it  enjoyed 
twelve  hundred  and  fifty-six  performances  at  the  Casino 
alone,  almost  unprecedented. 

The  first  knowledge  I  had  of  "Erminie"  was  early  in  1886, 


FIRST  PERFORMANCE  OF  "ERMINIE"        67 

When  Mr.  Edmond  Gerson  cabled  me  from  London,  saying: 
"Can  procure  for  you  for  five  hundred  dollars  new  operetta 
by  Paulton  and  Jakobowski,  entitled  'Erminie,'  and  now 
playing  at  the  Comedy  Theater,  London,  to  fair  business." 
I  at  once  replied  by  cable :  "Send  libretto  and  if  satisfactory 
will  wire  five  hundred." 

Before  this  could  be  done,  however,  Mr.  Frank  W.  Sanger 
purchased  the  operetta  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Willie 
Edouin  and  Miss  Melnotte  and  finally  arranged  with  me  for 
its  production  at  the  Casino.  In  the  course  of  its  phenomenal 
run  they  received  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  dollars 
in  royalties  on  it.  This  is  a  forceful  illustration  that  occa- 
sionally a  fair  success  in  Europe  will  make  a  great  success  in 
America. 

Mr.  Harry  Paulton,  when  his  work  of  staging  "Erminie" 
was  finished  and  the  final  dress  rehearsal  was  at  an  end,  said 
to  me  in  a  voice  full  of  disappointment: 

"With  the  antics  of  some  of  the  people  on  the  stage,  the 
many  interpolations  and  its  Americanization,  so  to  speak, 
'Erminie'  will  be  a  fiasco."  I  expressed  decided  disagree- 
ment with  this  statement,  although  I  realized  that  it  is  a 
difficult  matter  to  judge  beforehand  what  the  public  will 
accept. 

As  an  example  of  the  quick  expediency  required  of  a 
theatrical  manager,  a  few  of  the  incidents  connected  with  the 
presentation  of  "Erminie"  are  appropriate. 

I  found  it  necessary  in  order  to  strengthen  the  entrance  of 


68        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

the  two  thieves,  Caddy  and  Ravvy,  in  the  first  act  of 
"Erminie,"  to  introduce  something  foreign  to  that  operetta, 
which  I  had  discovered  in  Planquette's  "Les  Voltigeurs  du 
32  me"  and  it  fitted  the  situation  like  a  glove,  getting  four 
and  five  encores  nightly. 

Again,  when  I  approached  Miss  Marie  Jansen,  one  of  the 
most  popular  soubrettes  of  those  days,  with  a  view  of  engaging 
her  for  the  part  of  Javotte  in  "Erminie,"  Miss  Jansen  read 
the  part  over,  then  handed  it  back  to  me  with  tears  in  her 
eyes,  saying :  "Mr.  Aronson,  is  it  possible  that  you  ask  me  to 
play  such  a  mediocre  part  that  has  not  even  one  song4?"  I 
thought  of  what  she  said  for  a  few  moments  and  then  replied : 
"Very  well,  I  will  get  a  song  for  you  that  will  be  acceptable." 
And  I  did.  I  took  a  little  catchy  German  song  I  had  heard 
in  Berlin  some  years  before,  had  words  written  to  fit  the 
situation,  with  the  refrain,  "Sundays  after  three,  my  sweet- 
heart comes  to  me."  This  I  submitted  to  Miss  Jansen,  who 
promptly  accepted  the  part  and  the  song,  and  the  ballad  thus 
introduced  made  one  of  the  hits  of  the  operetta.  Miss  Jan- 
sen thanked  me  many  times  thereafter  for  "that  splendid  in- 
troduction." 

The  cast  of  "Erminie"  was  ideal  and  included  many  of 
those  artists  who  later  were  leaders  in  the  field  of  comic  opera. 
In  the  cast  were  Pauline  Hall,  Marie  Jansen,  Marion 
Manola,  Jennie  Weathersby,  Agnes  Folsom,  Rose  Beaudet, 
Francis  Wilson,  William  S.  Daboll,  Harry  Pepper,  Carl 
Irving,  Max  Freeman,  A.  W.  Maflin  and  Murry  Woods,  and 


FIRST  PERFORMANCE  OF  "ERMINIE"        69 

Jesse  Williams  as  musical  director.  The  occasion  of  the  five 
hundredth  performance  of  "Erminie"  was  made  a  gala  day 
for  the  company,  all  the  members  being  presented  with 
mementoes.  On  that  day  I  remember  Mr.  Wilson  saying  to 
me:  "Do  you  know,  Mr.  Aronson,  this  continuous  playing  of 
the  same  part  is  telling  on  my  nerves  and  at  times  I  almost 
feel  as  though  I  were  forgetting  my  lines.  Why  won't  you 
relieve  me  of  the  part  temporarily*?"  I  very  much  regretted 
not  being  able  to  accommodate  Mr.  Wilson,  but  it  would 
have  been  difficult  to  replace  him  after  his  tremendous  suc- 
cess. 

"Erminie"  continued,  running  on  for  hundreds  upon  hun- 
dreds of  performances  and  was  finally  succeeded  by  Lacome's 
"The  Marquis,"  Lecocq's  "Madelon,"  Chassaigne's  "Nadjy," 
Gilbert  and  Sullivan's  "The  Yeomen  of  the  Guard,"  Offen- 
bach's "The  Brigands,"  "The  Drum  Major,"  and  "The  Grand 
Duchess,"  Chassaigne's  "The  Brazilian,"  Lecocq's  "Madame 
Angot,"  Millocker's  "Poor  Jonathan,"  Hellmesberger's 
"Apollo,"  Strauss'  "Indigo,"  Zeller's  "The  Tyrolean," 
Mascagni's  "Cavalleria  Rusticana,"  Genee's  "Nanon"  (re- 
vival) Audran's  "Uncle  Celestin,"  Millocker's  "Child  of  For- 
tune" and  "The  Vice  Admiral,"  and  my  own  "The  Rain- 
maker of  Syria,"  the  libretto  of  which  was  by  Sidney  Rosen- 
feld. 

Miss  Lillian  Russell's  engagement  at  the  Casino  extended 
over  a  long  period,  and  during  that  time  she  missed  but  one 
performance  and  I  had  only  one  misunderstanding  with  her. 


70        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

It  was  a  custom  of  hers  to  call  on  me  at  the  end  of  each  season 
with  the  request  for  a  small  increase  in  her  weekly  salary,  and 
the  request  was  generally  granted,  as  Miss  Russell  was  a 
valuable  addition  to  any  high-class  company.  Her  last  ob- 
servance of  this  custom  was  the  occasion  of  our  very  slight 
disagreement.  We  had  arranged  for  the  usual  increase, 
which  brought  her  salary  up  to,  I  believe,  seven  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  a  week;  and  she  left  me,  saying  she  would  call 
on  the  following  Thursday  to  sign  her  contract,  which  I  was 
to  have  ready  at  that  time.  On  the  day  agreed  Miss  Russell 
called  at  my  office  and  said:  "Mr.  Aronson,  I  have  signed." 
Not  entirely  understanding  what  she  meant  by  this  remark, 
I  told  her  the  contract  was  ready  for  her  signature.  She 
continued  then  rather  nervously:  "I  have  signed  with  Mr.  T. 
Henry  French  for  twelve  hundred  dollars  a  week  and  a  share 
in  the  receipts  above  a  certain  amount  every  week."  To  this 
I  made  again  the  only  reply  possible  for  me  to  make,  that  if 
she  had  signed  a  contract  on  such  terms  she  was  to  be  con- 
gratulated. 

During  the  preparation  for  the  presentation  of  "Erminie" 
at  the  Casino  I  was  very  frequently  in  consultation  with  Mr. 
Henry  E.  Hoyt,  the  famous  scenic  artist.  At  that  time  Mr. 
Hoyt  had  a  small  studio  among  the  flies  over  the  stage  of  the 
Metropolitan  Opera  House.  This  was  a  congenial  resort  for 
me,  where  I  could  enjoy  the  ideas  of  a  finished  artist  regard- 
ing the  elaborate  scenery  that  was  being  planned  and  made 
ready  for  this  new  opera.  During  these  consultations  I  sug- 


FIRST  PERFORMANCE  OF  "ERMINIE"        71 

gested  to  Mr.  Hoyt  that  he  experiment  with  a  stage  setting 
entirely  of  one  color.  With  the  proper  light  effects  such  a 
setting  would,  I  thought,  be  beautiful.  The  result  of  our 
conferences  was  the  famous  pink  ballroom  scene  in  the  second 
act  of  "Erminie,"  which  was  painted  by  Mr.  Hoyt,  and 
brought  him  most  favorable  encomiums. 

A  great  deal  of  discretion  was  shown  in  the  selection  of  the 
cast  for  "Erminie,"  and  I  particularly  remember  that  my  at- 
tention was  called  to  a  young  actor  then  appearing  with  the 
Salsbury  Troubadours,  Mr.  William  S.  Daboll.  I  was  so  im- 
pressed with  his  acting,  his  personality  and  general  make-up 
that  I  engaged  him  at  once  for  the  role  of  Ravennes,  the  gen- 
tlemanly thief  in  that  operetta,  and  my  judgment  regarding 
him  was  fully  sustained  by  public  and  press.  Mr.  Daboll 
scored  an  unqualified  triumph,  and  had  not  unsuccessful 
speculations  and  illness  hastened  his  early  demise,  he  would 
have  achieved  very  great  prominence  in  America. 

While  Chassaigne's  delightful  operetta,  "Nadjy,"  was  in  re- 
hearsal for  the  Casino,  Miss  Sadie  Martinot,  who  had  been 
engaged  for  the  leading  part,  became  involved  in  controversy 
with  Mr.  Richard  Barker,  who  was  staging  the  operetta,  con- 
cerning some  stage  business  in  the  last  act.  I  was  watching 
the  rehearsal  from  the  front  and  felt  that  Miss  Martinot  was 
correct  in  what  she  wanted  done,  which  was  merely  a  change 
in  the  position  of  the  chorus  girls  in  order  that  she  might 
make  a  better  entrance.  Mr.  Barker  possibly  did  not  ap- 
prove of  the  change,  for  he  replied  to  Miss  Martinet's  re- 


72        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

quest,  "I  am  directing  the  stage  and  you  must  follow  my  in- 
structions." Miss  Martinot  then  declined  to  continue  unless 
her  suggestion  was  accepted,  and  came  in  front  to  consult  me. 
She  stated  her  demand  and  I  replied,  "Had  you  suggested 
your  idea  to  Mr.  Barker  or  to  me  previous  to  the  rehearsal, 
I  have  no  doubt  that  either  or  both  would  have  acquiesced. 
But  your  peremptory  demand  on  the  stage  before  the  entire 
company  was  unwarranted."  Her  reply  to  this  was  that  she 
would  not  play  the  part.  "Very  well !"  I  said,  "the  operetta 
will  be  played  anyway  on  the  day  set,  five  days  hence." 

I  at  once  rushed  to  Miss  Marie  Jansen's  apartment,  in- 
formed her  that  I  was  in  an  awful  predicament,  explained  the 
situation  and  appealed  to  her  to  help  me  out,  and  to  rehearse 
and  play  Nadjy  on  the  following  Monday — five  days  later. 
Miss  Jansen  looked  at  me  earnestly  and  all  she  said  was: 
"Man,  are  you  insane1?  Why,  I  couldn't  learn  the  dances 
in  that  time,  not  to  mention  the  music  and  the  lines!  And 
how  about  the  dresses?"  She  placed  particularly  strong 
emphasis  on  the  last  obstacle,  the  dresses,  so  I  guaranteed  her 
them  for  Sunday  morning.  She  once  more  considered  for  a 
time,  then  said,  "I  have  engaged  passage  for  Europe,  but  if 
it  is  a  favor  to  you,  I  will  cancel  that  and  go  right  over  to 
the  Casino  and  look  at  the  part."  She  went  to  the  Casino 
and  I  to  the  dressmaker  on  Fifth  Avenue,  where,  after  much 
argument  and  after  finally  agreeing  to  pay  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  in  addition  to  the  regular  price,  the  three  dresses 
were  promised  for  Sunday  morning.  I  hastened  back  to  the 


FIRST  PERFORMANCE  OF  "ERMINIE"        73 

Casino,  where  I  found  Miss  Jansen  had  already  started  her 
rehearsals,  and  when  I  told  her  the  dressmaker  had  promised 
me  the  gowns  in  time,  she  became  so  absorbed  with  the  part 
that  she  hardly  left  the  Casino  night  or  day  until  the  opening 
of  "Nadjy." 

When  Miss  Jansen  appeared  on  the  first  night  of  the 
operetta  she  received  a  veritable  ovation.  For  five  minutes 
the  vast  audience  applauded  the  energetic  Jansen  to  the  echo, 
and  in  that  operetta  she  made  one  of  the  greatest  hits  of  her 
career. 

Miss  Sadie  Martinet  was  one  of  the  enthusiastic  admirers 
of  Miss  Jansen  at  the  "Nadjy"  premiere.  I  remember, 
though,  a  few  days  previous  thereto  I  requested  her  for 
emergency's  sake,  to  deliver  to  me  the  three  "Nadjy"  dresses 
she  had  had  designed  and  made  in  Paris  at  my  expense,  and 
she  declined,  preferring  to  pay  for  and  retain  them  as  sou- 
venirs. 

Previously  when  Miss  Martinet  made  a  pronounced  hit  in 
Genee's  "Nanon"  at  the  Casino,  among  the  funny  incidents 
that  make  every  serious  matter  easier  to  overcome,  was  one 
that  occurred  the  third  evening  of  that  operetta.  One  scene 
was  somewhat  in  the  form  of  a  diminutive  menagerie,  and 
Miss  Martinot  had  entire  charge  of  the  animal  collection  dur- 
ing the  scene.  She  was  animal  trainer  to  a  quantity  of  doves, 
pigs,  geese,  goats  and  other  live-stock  of  small  dimensions. 
While  bringing  these  wild  beasts  into  a  condition  of  domestic- 
ity Miss  Martinot  fed  them  with  a  selection  of  dainties  most 


74        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

popular  with  such  creatures.  But  the  little  pigs  apparently 
were  not  amenable  to  this  kindness,  for  they  ran  about  the 
stage  and  one  of  them  indulged  in  frequent  squeaks.  Dur- 
ing the  second  evening  of  "Nanon"  an  officer  representing  a 
society  with  a  long  name,  called  at  my  office  and  informed 
me  that  the  shriek  was  injurious  to  the  little  pig,  although 
it  might  be  an  addition  to  the  scene.  He  explained  that  the 
reason  it  was  injurious  was  because  it  was  doubtless  occa- 
sioned by  the  prick  of  a  pin  or  needle,  as  the  beautiful  attend- 
ant and  the  bountiful  food  would  otherwise  put  from  the 
brain  of  the  pig  all  thought  of  squeaking.  The  officer  then 
asked  me  to  have  this  stopped.  I  promptly  agreed  to  do  so, 
and  the  officer  returned  to  his  seat  for  further  enjoyment  of 
the  play.  The  following  evening  the  officer  again  came  to 
my  office.  He  observed  rather  bitterly  that  he  had  accepted 
my  word  the  night  before  that  the  pig  would  not  again  be 
made  a  pin  cushion  for  the  pleasure  of  a  Casino  audience,  but 
that  on  this  evening  the  animal  had  again  shrieked,  and  in 
the  tones  of  that  shriek  he,  the  officer,  could  detect  great  pain. 
Of  course  I  made  profuse  apologies  for  this  recurrence  of 
cruelty  and  invited  the  officer  to  go  back  of  the  scene  with  me 
to  interview  the  pig  regarding  the  matter.  We  saw  the  prop- 
erty man,  and  after  I  had  told  him  the  purpose  of  our  call 
he  exhibited  a  papier-mache  pig,  which  Miss  Martinot  manip- 
ulated so  cleverly  as  to  conceal  its  artificial  nature  from  the 
audience.  He  repeated  the  squeak  in  the  flies  with  such  ex- 
cellent naturalness  that  I  was  at  once  relieved  from  the  sus- 


FIRST  PERFORMANCE  OF  "ERMINIE"        75 

picion  of  cruelty,  all  idea  of  the  pin  and  needle  accessories 
was  abandoned,  and  the  officer  left  me  with  earnest  apology 
for  his  mistake  and  with  a  smiling  face. 

The  troubles  and  worries  haunting  me  thus  far  I  had  con- 
sidered real,  but  they  were  nothing  compared  to  those  that 
now  came  along.  I  had  shortly  the  consolation  of  knowing 
that  the  worst  was  yet  to  come.  In  one  of  the  operettas  at 
the  Casino — it  was  entitled  "The  Marquis" — were  three 
really  prima-donna  roles,  Mae,  Marie  and  Marion,  for  which 
the  Misses  Bertha  Ricci,  Lillie  Grubb  and  Isabelle  Urquhart 
had  been  cast.  Each  of  these  three  ladies  wanted  the  so- 
called  "star"  dressing  room,  nor  would  she  be  satisfied  with 
any  other.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  had  put  no  star  dressing 
room  in  the  Casino  because  I  never  intended  having  a  star 
there;  I  intended  to  have  a  strictly  stock  company.  But 
these  ladies,  one  and  all,  regarded  the  room  known  as  Room 
A  to  be  a  star  room,  and  demanded  it.  For  the  moment  I 
was  at  my  wit's  end,  until  the  plan  came  to  me  of  dividing 
the  one  room  into  three  by  placing  through  it  two  partitions, 
having  a  separate  door  to  each  of  the  three  sections  and  let- 
tering the  doors  respectively  A,  AA,  and  AAA.  By  this 
means  peace  was  restored.  Each  lady  was  quite  satisfied 
with  a  room  two  thirds  smaller  than  need  be,  for  each  lady 
was  exalted  into  a  prima  donna. 


CONCERNING  SOME  CELEBRITIES 


CHAPTER  VII 
CONCERNING  SOME  CELEBRITIES 

Paderewski  and  the  Automatic  Piano — The  Serpentine  Dance  of 
Loie  Fuller — Master  Josef  Hofmann's  Remarkable  Pre- 
cocity— Eugene  Sandow's  Appearance  at  the  Casino — Fanny 
Rice  and  a  Would-be  Admirer — The  Initial  Production  of 
"Cavalleria  Rusticana." 

IN  "Uncle  Celestin,"  a  light  operetta  at  the  Casino,  I  in- 
troduced for  the  first  time  the  automatic  piano.  The 
dummy  player  was  made  up  like  Paderewski,  who  was 
then  the  rage  in  this  country.  One  evening  during  the 
"Uncle  Celestin"  engagement  the  real  Paderewski  strolled 
into  the  Casino,  and  I  invited  him  to  accompany  me  on  the 
stage,  holding  forth  to  him  the  promise  of  great  joy  in  meet- 
ing a  brother  artist.  He  accompanied  me  and  his  surprise 
was  genuine  when  I  introduced  him  to  his  double,  made  up 
so  accurately  as  to  be  almost  undistinguishable  from  the  orig- 
inal, who  fell  all  over  and  finally  into  the  piano.  Paderewski 
laughed  heartily  at  his  double's  antics. 

This  "Uncle  Celestin"  episode  recalls  my  business  associa- 
tions with  Miss  Loie  Fuller,  and  her  original  dance. 

Late  in  the  eighties  Miss  Fuller  had  been  engaged  by  me 
for  a  minor  part  at  the  Casino,  which,  however,  she  declined 
just  previous  to  rehearsal  time,  accepting  instead  an  engage- 

79 


80        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

ment  with  Mr.  Nat  Goodwin  in  "Little  Jack  Shephard"  at 
the  Bijou  Opera  House  in  New  York.  After  a  short  season 
there,  Miss  Fuller  left  for  England,  played  in  a  company  in 
London,  and  while  there,  discovered  the  light  material  which 
she  afterwards  used  in  her  dances. 

Returning  to  New  York  later  on,  she  called  at  my  brother's 
office  at  the  Casino,  stating  that  she  had  a  new  sort  of  a 
dance  which  she  was  quite  sure  would  take,  and  that  she 
would  like  to  submit  it  to  me.  My  brother  came  to  my  office, 
explained  the  matter,  and  although  I  was  a  little  piqued  at 
Miss  Fuller's  action  on  the  occasion  of  her  first  engagement 
at  the  Casino,  I  fixed  an  appointment  with  her  for  a  rehearsal 
for  the  next  morning. 

My  orchestra  was  on  hand,  and  I  sat  back  in  the  audito- 
rium to  watch  the  dance.  Miss  Fuller  gave  her  directions  for 
the  lights,  the  orchestra  played  a  Spanish  dance  that  I  had 
heard  many  years  before,  and  she  then  appeared  with  the 
two  sticks  and  a  white  flowing  gown  of  light  fabric  which  she 
waved  to  and  fro. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  dance  she  came  back  to  my  office 
and  I  said  to  her:  "Miss  Fuller,  the  only  things  in  your  dance 
are  the  sticks  and  the  material."  I  then  played  for  her  a 
charming  little  piece,  just  received  from  Paris,  Gillet's  "Loin 
du  Bal,"  and  said  to  her,  "Now,  that  ought  to  fit  your  dance 
like  a  glove."  I  further  suggested  to  her  a  title  for  her  dance, 
"The  Serpentine,"  because  the  waving  of  the  sticks  indicated 
that.  I  then  agreed  to  have  her  lights  properly  arranged  and 


CONCERNING  SOME  CELEBRITIES  81 

before  she  left  my  office  she  had  signed  a  contract  with  me 
for  two  years — at  fifty  dollars  per  week. 

The  "Serpentine  Dance"  was  put  into  rehearsal  at  the 
Casino,  and  then  was  interpreted  by  Miss  Fuller  during  six 
weeks  on  the  road  in  conjunction  with  "Uncle  Celestin," 
after  which  the  combined  attraction  was  presented  at  the 
Casino.  After  a  few  performances  and  because  I  declined  to 
increase  her  salary  Miss  Fuller  retired  from  the  Casino  and 
later  sailed  for  Europe,  appearing  at  the  Wintergarten  in 
Berlin  and  then  the  following  year  at  the  Folies  Bergeres  in 
Paris,  where  the  dance  was  sumptuously  done  with  lights  and 
effects,  creating  a  veritable  sensation,  so  much  so  that  Miss 
Fuller  after  a  few  years  returned  to  New  York  and  appeared 
at  Koster  &  Bial's,  then  on  34th  Street,  receiving  a  fabulous 
weekly  salary  and  scoring  a  wonderful  success.  On  one  oc- 
casion during  this  engagement,  she  requested  me  to  visit  her 
back  of  the  stage  and  presented  me  to  her  friends  present — 
as  the  father  of  her  dance — a  very  graceful  compliment  on 
her  part. 

I  was  one  day  invited  by  Mr.  Henry  E.  Abbey  to  attend 
an  exhibition  he  proposed  giving  of  the  almost  incredible 
musical  talent  possessed  by  Master  Josef  Hofmann,  then  a 
boy  of  eleven.  This  introduction  of  the  wonderful  boy  was 
made  at  Wallack's  Theater  to  an  audience  of  musicians,  ar- 
tists, newspaper  men  and  others  interested  in  art  in  all  its 
phases.  Little  Hofmann  did  a  variety  of  marvelous  piano 
"stunts"  and  I,  among  others,  put  him  to  a  test.  I  played  on 


82        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

the  piano  sixteen  bars  of  an  unpublished  waltz  I  had  recently 
composed,  and,  while  I  played,  young  Hofmann  listened  at- 
tentively. Then,  seating  himself  at  the  piano,  he  played  my 
waltz  correctly,  modulated  from  one  key  to  another,  inter- 
polated other  melodies,  and  after  five  minutes  of  this  extem- 
porizing, reverted  to  my  waltz  in  the  original  tone  and  note 
for  note.  This  brought  great  applause  from  his  critical  au- 
dience, and  for  fully  an  hour  after  that  he  submitted  his 
talents  to  tests,  far  surpassing  even  the  exalted  opinion  all 
had  formed  of  him. 

This  reminds  me  of  another  incident  involving  that  most 
delightful  man,  Mr.  Abbey;  and  although  it  is  slightly  in- 
congruous to  intermingle  muscle  with  music,  I  think  the  story 
is  theatrically  interesting  enough  to  excuse  me  in  doing  so. 
Most  persons  will  remember  Eugene  Sandow,  the  strong  man 
with  the  marvelous  physique,  whose  personal  manager  at  that 
time,  was  Mr.  Florenz  Ziegfeld  (the  present  day  producer  of 
successful  musical  reviews).  Well,  Mr.  Abbey  had  engaged 
Sandow,  and  he  said  to  me  one  day:  "Aronson,  I  will  let  you 
have  Sandow  for  what  he  costs  me,  six  hundred  dollars  a 
week.  You  place  him  between  two  of  the  acts  or  at  the 
finish  of  your  operetta  at  the  Casino,  and  I'm  sure  he  will  fill 
the  house."  Unfortunately  for  Abbey,  this  suggestion  was 
made  in  July  at  a  time  when  theater  business  is  rather 
hazardous.  So  I  replied,  "Although  this  attraction  is  some- 
what out  of  my  line,  and  you  are  so  sure  of  your  card,  I  will 
give  you  fifty  per  cent  of  our  receipts  after  we  have  cleared 


CONCERNING  SOME  CELEBRITIES  83 

the  average  weekly  receipts."  Abbey  was  a  born  speculator. 
He  accepted  my  offer  and  Sandow  came  to  the  Casino,  where 
he  gave  his  first  performances  in  this  country,  including  his 
lifting  of  a  grand  piano  on  a  platform  with  a  dozen  or  more 
persons  thereon. 

However,  the  fact  that  it  was  July  and  that  the  tempera- 
ture was  terrifically  high,  had  an  unhappy  influence  on  busi- 
ness, and  only  one  week  in  the  entire  six  of  Sandow's  engage- 
ment did  the  house  receipts  go  above  the  average.  So,  for  that 
one  week  only  did  Mr.  Abbey  receive  any  monetary  return 
from  the  Casino  for  Sandow's  most  admirable  work.  But 
Abbey's  speculative  disposition  had  a  satisfactory  return  in 
the  publicity  Sandow  received  on  the  road  because  of  his 
lengthy  Casino  appearance.  Immediately  following  his 
Casino  engagement  Sandow  appeared  to  enormous  business  at 
the  Trocadero  in  Chicago  during  the  World's  Fair. 

I  could  boast,  as  could  Mr.  Abbey,  of  bringing  a  famous 
pianist  to  the  attention  of  the  public.  During  my  popular 
Sunday  night  concerts  at  the  Casino  in  the  eighties,  I  pre- 
sented Mr.  Leopold  Godowsky,  a  youth  then,  and  now  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  foremost  pianists  living.  At  his  first  ap- 
pearance in  New  York  on  Sunday,  January  i8th,  1885,  he 
performed  Mendelssohn's  Prelude  and  Fugue  op.  35,  a 
Chopin  Scherzo  and  the  Rubinstein  Valse  Caprice,  making 
an  excellent  impression.  In  these  concerts  I  also  presented 
Mr.  Alexander  Lambert,  another  gifted  pianist,  Mr.  Louis 
Blumenberg,  the  distinguished  violoncellist,  and  Mr.  Michael 


84        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Banner,  the  violinist,  who  had  but  recently  received  a  first 
prize  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire,  and  for  the  first  time  at  the 
Casino,  Sunday,  December  Qth,  1883,  the  distinguished 
prima  donna,  Madame  Nordica.  Madame  Nordica  sang  the 
aria  from  Mozart's  "Magic  Flute"  and  the  polonaise  from 
"Mignon"  of  Thomas.  Of  course  she  sang  them  magnifi- 
cently. I  had  not  met  her  since  1878,  when  as  a  young  girl 
— Miss  Lillian  Norton — she  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  Gil- 
more's  Band  and  sang  through  many  European  cities  with  that 
excellent  organization.  I  was  a  fellow  passenger  upon  the 
occasion  and  we  had  music  galore  during  the  trip. 

During  Miss  Fanny  Rice's  engagement  in  "Nadjy"  at  the 
Casino,  following  the  retirement  of  Miss  Marie  Jansen,  she 
was  annoyed  as  most  leading  artists  are  with  notes  from  stage- 
door  "mashers."  One  of  them  was  written  on  delicately 
tinted  paper  and  signed  "Jewels."  The  letter  stated  that  the 
writer  had  considerable  property  in  his  possession  which  be- 
longed to  Miss  Rice  and  that  he  was  anxious  to  deliver  it  to 
her  but  only  in  person,  and  asked  her  to  put  a  personal  in  the 
Herald  and  state  where  and  when  he  could  see  her.  A  street 
corner  would  suit  him  best,  he  said,  and  she  was  to  hold  a 
handkerchief  in  her  hand,  so  he  could  identify  her.  There 
were  two  dollars  enclosed  to  pay  for  the  personal. 

Miss  Rice  burned  the  letter  and  gave  the  money  to  a  poor 
woman.  She  thought  no  more  of  the  matter.  A  few  days 
after,  another  letter  was  received  which  again  called  her  at- 
tention to  the  matter  and  stated  that  the  writer  had  failed 


CONCERNING  SOME  CELEBRITIES  85 

to  see  the  personal.  No  attention  was  paid  and  then,  another 
note  reached  the  theater,  stating  that  the  property  consisted 
of  valuable  diamond  earrings,  pin,  bracelets  and  trinkets  of 
all  sorts. 

"Nadjy"  here  concluded  to  consult  her  husband,  and  he 
inserted  the  following  personal  in  the  New  York  Herald  on 
April  3rd,  1889: 

"Breakfast" — if  your  object  is  strictly  business  and  it  is  true  that 
property  has  been  left  to  me  and  intrusted  to  you  for  delivery,  you 
will  find  me  at  my  home  270  West  39th  Street,  Wednesday,  at  one 
o'clock. 

FANNY  RICE. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  state  that  the  would-be  masher  did 
not  turn  up.  If  he  had,  he  would  have  been  received  very 
cordially  by  Miss  Rice's  husband,  a  score  of  reporters  and  a 
big  Newfoundland  dog. 

To  illustrate  how  much  attention  was  given  to  the  scenic 
requirements  of  Casino  productions  I  remember  that  I  com- 
missioned Mr.  Henry  E.  Hoyt,  the  artist,  to  paint  for  the 
second  Act  of  "Nanon"  (The  salon  at  Countess  Carlotta's) 
a  fac-simile  of  Fortuny's  famous  painting,  "Choosing  the 
Model."  Its  success  was  second  only  to  the  pink  ballroom 
scene  in  "Erminie." 

I  also  recall  the  engagement  (I  mean  for  the  stage)  of  Miss 
Victoria  Schilling,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Morosini,  the  banker. 
She  eloped  from  Yonkers  with  a  coachman  of  her  parents. 
Mr.  Morosini  refused  to  recognize  his  daughter  as  long  as  she 


86        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

remained  with  her  coachman  husband,  Ernest  Schilling.  She 
decided  finally  to  adopt  the  stage  and  joined  my  company 
in  1885  during  the  run  of  "Amorita,"  playing  the  part  of  a 
young  artist  very  acceptably  indeed,  so  well  that  she  became 
the  understudy  for  one  of  the  leading  characters,  and  was  re- 
engaged for  a  part  in  "The  Gypsy  Baron"  which  followed. 

One  Sunday  evening  during  his  engagement  with  "The 
Beggar  Student"  at  the  Casino,  Mr.  Fred  Leslie  dined  with 
my  family,  and  at  the  table  he  suddenly  imitated  the  me-ow, 
me-ow  of  a  cat,  so  cleverly  that  my  father,  then  over  seventy 
years  of  age,  said,  "Why  don't  you  throw  that  abominable 
cat  out!"  I  said,  "Governor,  if  we  throw  that  cat  out,  it  will 
have  to  be  our  guest,  Mr.  Leslie!"  My  father  laughed 
heartily  and  apologized  to  the  comedian. 

On  one  of  my  visits  abroad,  Mr.  James  Creelman,  who  at 
that  time  was  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Herald  in 
Paris,  informed  me  he  had  just  returned  from  Italy,  where 
he  had  interviewed  His  Holiness,  Pope  Leo  XIII,  in  Rome, 
and  while  there  had  been  present  at  an  early  performance  of 
an  extraordinarily  beautiful  opera,  "Cavalleria  Rusticana," 
by  a  new  composer,  Mascagni.  At  the  same  time  Mr.  Creel- 
man gave  me  an  Italian  libretto  of  the  opera,  and  was  en- 
thusiastic in  his  eulogy  upon  the  music  and  of  the  originality 
of  the  tenor  solo  at  the  beginning  of  the  opera.  Most  un- 
fortunately I  was  compelled  to  return  to  New  York  hastily 
and  thus  was  prevented  from  hearing  that  remarkable  work, 
which  in  the  course  of  a  few  months  became  the  talk  of 


CONCERNING  SOME  CELEBRITIES  87 

musical  circles.  It  was  not  until  the  following  year  that  I 
went  to  Europe  again,  when  I  heard  "Cavalleria  Rusticana" 
and  arranged  for  its  production  in  New  York.  America 
showed  signs  of  becoming  "Cavalleria  Rusticana"  mad  as 
was  Europe  then,  and  anticipating  this,  I  hastened  to  New 
York  with  the  score  of  that  opera  carried  safely  in  my  suit- 
case. I  also  carried  with  it  Zeller's  unusually  tuneful  operetta, 
"Tyrolean,"  and  as  soon  as  I  reached  port  I  arranged  for  a 
double  performance  at  the  Casino,  consisting  of  both  works. 
Mr.  Heinrich  Conried  was  to  be  stage  director  of  the  double 
bill,  with  Laura  Bellini,  Grace  Golden,  Madame  Von 
Doenhoff  and  Charles  Bassett  and  William  Pruette  in 
"Cavalleria  Rusticana,"  Miss  Marie  Tempest  playing  the 
title  part  in  "Tyrolean."  The  orchestra  of  fifty  musicians 
was  under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Gustave  Kerker.  At  once, 
upon  my  announcement  of  the  first  performance  of  "Caval- 
leria Rusticana,"  Mr.  Oscar  Hammerstein  also  announced  a 
performance  of  the  same  opera  at  the  Lenox  Lyceum  at  Fifty- 
ninth  Street  and  Madison  Avenue,  New  York  (now  the  Plaza 
Music  Hall),  and  we  watched  one  another  with  great  sus- 
picion. But  my  production  was  the  first  in  the  New  York 
field  and  was  an  invitation  opening,  so  that  all  the  local  music 
world  went  to  the  Casino.  Subsequently  I  gave  fifty-five 
performances.  Mr.  Hammerstein  gave  only  three  perform- 
ances and  said  that  the  opera  should  have  been  called  Caval- 
leria Busticana  instead  of  Rusticana! 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO 

Sir  Arthur  Sullivan's  Visit  to  the  Casino — Lawsuits  Occasioned 
by  the  Piracy  of  "Erminie" — Francis  Wilson  and  Louise 
Sylvester  Brave  the  Blizzard  of  1888 — Marie  Jansen  and  the 
Ballet  Girls  of  "Nadjy"— General  William  T.  Sherman  at 
Casino — An  Attempt  to  Set  Fire  to  the  Casino — The  Bronze 
Figure  Group. 

ON  June  3oth,  1885,  Sir  Arthur  Sullivan  occupied  a 
box  at  the  second  performance  of  "Nanon"  at  the 
Casino,  and  he  complimented  me  highly  upon  the 
artistic  completeness  of  that  operetta,  emphasizing  the  excel- 
lence of  the  chorus  work  and  the  orchestra.     Sir  Arthur  had 
just  arrived  from  England  to  superintend  the  final  rehearsals 
of  "The  Mikado"  at  the  Fifth  Avenue  Theater,  New  York, 
and  also  to  use  his  every  effort  for  the  suppression  of  the  many 
piratical  productions  of  that  clever  opera. 

Speaking  of  piratical  productions,  brings  to  mind  that  I 
was  a  victim  of  them  during  my  representations  of  "Erminie" 
in  1886,  1887  and  1888.  In  those  years  I  had  no  less  than 
fourteen  lawsuits  against  pretended  owners  of  this  very  suc- 
cessful operetta,  produced  or  announced  to  be  produced  un- 
der all  sorts  of  fictitious  titles  such  as  "The  Two  Thieves," 

91 


92        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

"Robert  Macaire,"  "The  Vagabonds,"  "The  Robbers,"' 
"Ravvy  and  Caddy,"  "Robert  and  Bertram,"  and  so  forth. 
In  each  suit  I  secured  an  injunction,  but  it  meant  for  me  much 
trouble  and  expense.  Mr.  David  Leventritt  was  my  attorney 
in  these  suits,  and  they  kept  him  exceedingly  busy,  almost  to 
the  very  moment  he  was  elected  to  the  bench  of  the  Supreme 
Court. 

I  recall  the  greatest  blizzard  of  modern  times  in  New  York 
in  March,  1888,  when  for  three  days  (with  snow  in  some 
places  twelve  feet  deep)  traffic  was  at  a  standstill.  On  the 
first  night  of  the  blizzard,  March  i6th,  only  two  performers, 
Francis  Wilson  and  Louise  Sylvester  reported  at  the  Casino 
(the  latter  almost  exhausted  from  the  effect  of  the  wind  and 
snow).  "Erminie"  was  still  the  attraction,  but  the  only  ap- 
plicants for  seats  on  that  memorable  night  were  three  sturdy 
Canadians — to  whom  (in  the  absence  of  my  treasurer)  I  ex- 
tended a  complimentary  pass  for  the  following  evening,  when 
I  thought  it  might  be  possible  to  resume  operations. 

My  policy  had  always  been  to  keep  the  Casino  Comic 
Opera  Company  intact  and  devoid  of  stars,  and  to  this  I 
attribute  largely  the  artistic  results  of  the  performances  given 
by  that  company  under  my  direction.  It  was  entirely  owing 
to  this  policy  that  I  rejected  a  proposal  made  by  Mr.  Francis 
Wilson,  after  his  long  engagement  with  me,  to  give  him  a  re- 
duced fixed  salary  and  an  interest  in  the  profits  of  our  com- 
pany. My  rejection  of  this  request  resulted  in  Mr.  Wilson's 
combining  with  Messrs.  Nixon  &  Zimmerman  and  they  later 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO  93, 

on  became  important  factors  in  the  so-called  Theatrical 
Syndicate  with  Messrs.  Klaw  &  Erlanger,  Charles  Frohman 
and  Al  Hayman. 

One  of  the  potent  factors  in  the  success  after  success  of 
many  Casino  productions,  is  attributable  in  a  great  measure 
to  the  creation,  so  to  say,  of  new  original  business,  something 
that  would  strengthen  a  scene,  a  situation  or  a  finale.  As 
I  previously  mentioned,  the  apropos  introductions  and 
changes  in  "Erminie,"  so  in  "The  Grand  Duchess,"  in  order 
to  give  Miss  Lillian  Russell  a  dignified  entrance,  befitting  the 
character  of  the  part  and  her  own  personality,  I  suggested  to 
Mr.  Max  Freeman,  the  stage  director,  that  inasmuch  as  we 
never  had  a  snow  scene  on  the  Casino  stage,  why  not  intro- 
duce one  in  "The  Grand  Duchess,"  and  have  Miss  Russell  ap- 
pear gowned  in  her  magnificent  ermine  set,  in  a  sleigh  on 
the  top  of  a  hill  and  descend  towards  the  footlights  during 
the  falling  snow! 

Mr.  Freeman  at  first  intimated  that  it  was  all  foreign  to 
Offenbach's  masterpiece,  and  then  acquiesced,  and  my  sug- 
gestion was  carried  out  and  with  very  great  success. 

Also  in  Offenbach's  "Brigands,"  I  decided  after  ex- 
amination of  the  score  that  the  finale  of  the  first  act  was  not 
strong  enough,  and  commissioned  Mr.  Gustave  Kerker,  then 
the  musical  director  at  the  Casino,  to  write  an  effective  waltz 
measure,  which  he  did  and  with  some  telling  business  this 
finale  received  four  and  five  encores  nightly. 

Again  in  "Nadjy,"  I  suggested  to  Mr.  Richard  Barker,. 


94        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

who  was  directing  the  stage,  that  we  must  make  one  of  our 
strong  effects  in  the  ballet  scene.  We  had  a  chorus  of  un- 
usually pretty  and  well  formed  young  ladies  and  they  were 
put  through  a  regular  course  of  ballet  training  with  Monsieur 
de  Bibeyran,  the  Casino's  ballet  master,  and  in  their  short  fluffy 
white  and  pink  skirts  in  contrast  with  the  one,  entirely  in 
black,  worn  by  Miss  Marie  Jansen,  presented  a  most  pic- 
turesque appearance,  and  proved  an  immense  factor  in  the 
great  run  of  Chassaigne's  tuneful  operetta. 

In  Millocker's  "Poor  Jonathan"  the  third  act  was  laid  at 
West  Point,  on  the  Hudson.  I  said  to  Mr.  Heinrich  Conried, 
who  had  charge  of  the  stage,  "We  must  introduce  here  an 
effective  military  march  and  evolutions  for  the  girls  of  the 
chorus  to  be  uniformed  as  West  Point  cadets."  I  wrote  the 
music  for  this  introduction  published  as  a  march  under  the 
title,  "For  Love  or  War."  It  took  eight  weeks  of  incessant 
rehearsal  with  Mr.  Conried  and  a  prominent  drill  master  of 
one  of  New  York's  crack  regiments,  to  teach  the  girls  (forty- 
eight  in  number)  the  difficult  steps  and  more  difficult  evolu- 
tions, but  they  finally  acquitted  themselves  like  real  warriors, 
receiving  encore  after  encore  at  each  performance,  and  ma- 
terially aiding  the  immense  success  achieved  by  the  operetta. 

Many  prominent  Europeans  expressed  themselves  in  high- 
est terms  at  the  excellence  of  the  Casino  productions.  Herr 
Eduard  Strauss  during  his  first  visit  to  America  in  the  eight- 
ies, paid  me  a  great  compliment  when  he  said  that  he  re- 
garded the  representations  of  the  Johann  Strauss  operettas  at 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO  95 

the  Casino  as  infinitely  superior  to  those  in  either  Berlin  or 
Vienna. 

Later  on  Dr.  Hans  von  Bulow,  the  famous  pianist  and  con- 
ductor, visited  the  Casino  with  Mr.  Walter  Damrosch.  "The 
Grand  Duchess"  was  on  the  boards  with  Lillian  Russell  in 
the  title  role.  Dr.  von  Bulow  said  to  me  at  the  time  that  he 
had  never  witnessed  a  more  artistic  and  elaborate  presentation 
of  the  Offenbach  burletta  (as  he  termed  it)  anywhere  in  Eu- 
rope. I  thanked  the  Doctor  heartily  and  invited  him  to  the 
Casino  Cafe,  and  was  surprised  when  he  ordered  and  drank 
three  bottles  of  Sarsaparilla ! 

On  the  occasion  of  the  75th  performance  of  "The  Grand 
Duchess,"  May  5th,  1890,  Miss  Russell  was  presented  with  a 
replica  of  the  crown  originally  worn  by  Mile.  Hortense  Schnei- 
der, the  famous  creatrice  of  "La  Grande  Duchess"  in  Paris  in 
1868.  The  orchestra  on  that  occasion  was  directed  by  the 
composer,  Jacques  Offenbach. 

Before  the  presentation  of  "Erminie"  at  the  Casino  I  had 
contracted  with  Mr.  T.  Henry  French  for  a  six  weeks'  engage- 
ment of  the  Violet  Cameron  Opera  Company  from  London, 
beginning  October  4th,  1886.  During  those  six  weeks  my 
company,  for  the  first  time  in  its  history,  played  a  road  en- 
gagement in  "Erminie"  with  the  original  cast,  to  phenomenal 
business,  in  Boston  at  the  Globe  Theater  three  weeks,  in  Phila- 
delphia at  the  Chestnut  Street  Opera  House  two  weeks  and 
in  Brooklyn  at  the  Park  Theater  one  week. 

Miss  Violet  Cameron   (daughter  of  Lydia  Thompson,   a 


96        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

great  favorite  in  London)  and  her  company  duly  arrived  ac- 
companied by  Lord  Londsdale  (intimate  friend  of  the  then 
Prince  of  Wales  and  later  King  Edward  VII)  as  its  manager. 
A  few  days  later  there  appeared  on  the  scene  the  husband  of 
Miss  Cameron,  a  Mr.  David  de  Bensaude,  whose  presence  oc- 
casioned much  trouble  and  an  enormous  amount  of  newspaper 
publicity.  It  was  verily  a  case  of  "The  Earl,  the  Prima 
Donna  and  the  Husband." 

The  first  operetta — I  should  say  burlesque — presented,  was 
"The  Commodore,"  an  adaptation  from  Offenbach's  "La 
Creole."  At  the  conclusion  of  its  premiere,  there  congregated 
such  a  mob  at  the  Thirty-ninth  Street  stage  entrance  of  the 
Casino,  that  I  found  it  decidedly  advisable  to  escort  Miss 
Cameron  through  the  auditorium  of  the  theater  (after  the  re- 
tirement of  the  large  audience)  and  then  to  Broadway  through 
my  private  office,  in  order  to  avoid  an  impending  riot  at  the 
stage  door.  There  seemed  to  have  been  intense  feeling 
aroused  against  the  manager  of  noble  birth  who  afterwards 
was  sued  by  de  Bensaude  claiming  one  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars as  damages. 

Although  Miss  Cameron  was  a  delight  to  the  eye  and  the 
ear,  "The  Commodore"  and  its  successor,  "Kenilworth,"  did 
not  seem  to  appeal  to  the  American  public,  so  that  the  business 
was  only  fair  and  the  company  returned  to  England  after  a 
short  tour  on  the  road.  i 

A  memorable  occasion  was  when  the  Ancient  and  Hon- 
orable Artillerymen  of  London,  accompanied  by  the  West 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO  97 

Point  cadets,  attended  the  performance  of  "Nadjy"  at  the 
Casino  on  June  nth,  1888.  General  William  T.  Sherman 
and  friends  occupied  two  boxes.  After  the  first  act,  Cadet 
Alexander  Perry  arose  and  said  in  a  commanding  voice,  "At- 
tention !  Classes  rise !  Three  cheers  for  the  retired  general  of 
the  Army!"  How  the  voices  rose  and  rang!  The  vast  au- 
dience joined  in  the  ovation.  General  Sherman  stepped  to 
the  front  of  the  box  and  said  that  forty-eight  years  ago  he 
had  worn  the  cadet  gray,  and  expressed  the  hope  that  the 
graduates  would  excel  their  predecessors  if  only  a  little  bit 
and  that  they  would  at  least  follow  the  example  set  them 
m  maintaining  the  great  Union.  Loud  and  continued  ap- 
plause followed  the  gallant  General's  remarks.  It  was  on 
this  same  evening  that  I  said  to  General  Sherman  that  I 
had  recently  invited  General  Grant  to  the  Casino,  who  in- 
quired as  to  what  was  playing  there.  I  replied,  "A  musical 
show  called  'Erminie,'  "  and  General  Grant  answered,  "I'll 
wait  until  you  play  a  drama  or  a  comedy,  as  I  don't  care  for 
musical  shows!"  General  Sherman  then  informed  me  that 
he  accounted  for  that  in  this  way:  "During  the  war,  the  al- 
most continuous  rattle  of  horses'  hoofs,  the  beat  of  the  drums, 
and  other  weird  sounds  had  evidently  imbedded  themselves  so 
thoroughly  in  General  Grant's  ear  that  a  veritable  dislike  for 
a  real  musical  or  melodious  strain  was  occasioned !  It  is  very 
different  with  me,  however,"  continued  General  Sherman, 
"for  I  am  fond  of  all  kinds  of  music,  whether  light,  popular 
or  classical !" 


98        THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

The  advent  of  a  new  work  by  the  authors  of  "Pinafore," 
"The  Pirates  of  Penzance,"  "Patience,"  "The  Mikado,"  etc., 
Messrs.  Gilbert  and  Sullivan,  was  always  the  sensation  of  the 
time. 

I  procured  the  exclusive  American  rights  for  what  was  at 
that  time  their  latest  opera,  "The  Yeomen  of  the  Guard,"  al- 
though the  title  was  not  made  public  until  just  before  the  first 
production  at  the  Casino  on  October  lyth,  1888.  Previous 
thereto,  however,  a  number  of  stories  were  circulated,  placing 
the  locale  of  the  new  opera  in  Sweden,  Hungary,  Dalmatia, 
Bulgaria  and  other  quarters  of  the  globe.  Strange  to  relate, 
the  music  of  the  finale  of  the  second  act  was  first  received  and 
put  into  rehearsal,  then  followed  something  of  the  first  act, 
and  then  came  another  number  of  the  second  act,  and  so  on, 
and  finally,  at  the  latest  moment  the  remainder  of  the  score. 
This  precaution  had  been  taken,  to  avoid  piratical  productions 
which  at  that  period  seemed  to  be  very  much  in  vogue. 

There  were  many  applications  from  reputable  managers  to 
procure  rights  for  the  production  of  "The  Yeomen  of  the 
Guard"  in  various  sections  of  the  United  States,  although  they 
knew  nothing  of  the  subject  or  value  of  the  opera.  I  received 
from  The  Emma  Abbott  Opera  Company  ten  thousand  dollars 
for  the  rights  in  San  Francisco  and  the  Northwest,  and  from 
John  Stetson  the  same  amount  for  Boston  and  the  East  in  ad- 
dition to  fixed  royalties.  Besides  the  regular  Casino  Com- 
pany, I  organized  what  was  termed  a  "number  two"  company 
to  invade  Chicago  and  the  West. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO  99 

With  all  my  efforts  and  those  of  my  confreres,  "The  Yeo- 
men of  the  Guard"  did  not  score  the  success  of  any  of  the 
aforementioned  works  of  Gilbert  and  Sullivan,  accountable  in 
a  measure  to  the  rather  gruesome  libretto.  Some  of  the  music, 
however,  was  in  Sir  Arthur's  best  vein,  particularly  the  finale 
of  the  first  act,  with  its  double  chorus  effect  and  its  wonderful 
musicianly  treatment;  indeed  it  was  a  veritable  masterpiece  in 
itself. 

Mr.  Richard  Barker,  the  eminent  stage  director  of  the 
Savoy  Theater,  London,  representing  Mr.  D'Oyley  Carte,  the 
manager  of  Messrs.  Gilbert  and  Sullivan,  was  sent  especially 
to  direct  the  rehearsals  and  supervise  the  production  of  "The 
Yeomen  of  the  Guard,"  and  I  engaged  a  well  known  prima 
donna,  who  had  just  arrived  from  Europe,  for  the  leading 
part,  but  she  had  to  be  dispensed  with,  a  week  before  the  open- 
ing performance.  Although  the  possessor  of  a  most  charming 
voice,  she  lacked  the  necessary  stage  experience  for  this  class 
of  work.  Her  part  was  acceptably  filled  at  short  notice  by 
Miss  Bertha  Ricci. 

Mr.  D'Oyley  Carte  endeavored  to  arrange  with  me  for  the 
presentation  at  the  Casino  in  New  York  of  Gilbert  and  Sul- 
livan's "The  Gondoliers,"  insisting,  however,  upon  a  guaran- 
tee and  a  fixed  number  of  performances,  which  I  flatly  re- 
fused. If  Mr.  Carte  would  have  guaranteed  me  another 
"Pinafore"  or  "Mikado"  success  in  addition  to  permitting  me 
to  engage  for  the  leading  part  his  incomparable  comedian,  Mr. 
George  Grossmith,  an  agreement  might  have  been  made,  but 


ioo      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

suppose  "The  Gondoliers"  should  have  turned  out  to  be  an- 
other "Ruddygore"  or  a  "Yeomen  of  the  Guard,"  what  then? 
An  inferior  company  was  later  on  sent  over  from  England  and 
"The  Gondoliers"  did  not  prove  successful. 

At  the  rehearsals  of  a  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  opera  at  the 
Savoy  Theater  in  London,  which  I  attended,  the  ladies  and 
gentlemen  of  the  chorus  were  seated  in  a  semi-circle  on  the 
stage,  in  the  midst  of  which  was  a  small  upright  piano.  The 
late  Mr.  W.  S.  Gilbert  attended  nearly  all  the  musical  re- 
hearsals, took  notes  of  the  style  of  composition,  time  and 
rhythm  and  then  invented  his  groups  and  stage  business. 

Mr.  Gilbert  was,  as  is  well  known,  a  very  strict  disciplin- 
arian. He  would  stand  on  the  stage  at  rehearsals  and  repeat 
the  words  and  action  of  the  parts  over  and  over  until  they 
were  delivered  as  he  desired.  All  the  arrangements  of  color 
and  the  groupings  were  designed  by  him. 

About  this  time  two  important  events  occurred  at  the  Casino. 
One  was  the  introduction,  back  of  the  seats,  of  the  automatic 
opera  glasses,  a  boon  to  theater-goers  and  now  quite  univer- 
sally adopted;  the  other  was  an  attempt  to  set  fire  to  the 
building. 

For  some  insubordination,  I  notified  my  chief  stage  machin- 
ist that  his  services  would  not  be  required  after  Saturday 
night.  The  night  previous  to  his  discharge,  he  placed  a  candle 
surrounded  by  inflammable  material  in  one  of  the  rooms  back 
of  the  upper  boxes  in  the  theater,  calculating  that  the  candle 
would  burn  down  and  ignite  the  inflammable  material  just  as 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO          101 

the  audience  was  leaving,  and  he  would  be  on  hand  with  a 
bucket  of  water,  ready  to  extinguish  the  flame  and  that  his 
heroism  would  at  once  reinstate  him.  Luckily,  the  night 
watchman  made  his  rounds  earlier  than  usual,  and  recognizing 
through  the  cracks  of  the  room  an  unusual  light,  opened  the 
door  at  almost  the  moment  when  the  candle  had  reached  the 
inflammable  material.  He  extinguished  the  impending  flame 
and  thus  averted  a  catastrophe,  for  the  performance  was  not 
yet  over. 

I  reported  the  case  to  the  then  Superintendent  Byrnes,  who 
questioned  me  on  many  points,  and  finally  asked  if  I  had  re- 
cently discharged  anyone.  I  mentioned  the  stage  machinist, 
and  the  superintendent  at  once  procured  his  address.  With 
Detective-Sergeant  Dusenberry,  I  went  to  this  residence,  and 
just  as  we  arrived  he  was  walking  down  the  stoop,  valise  in 
hand.  He  was  immediately  put  under  arrest,  and  divulged 
the  whole  plan  to  the  Superintendent.  He  was  tried  and 
sentenced  to  seven  years'  imprisonment. 

During  the  memorable  days  of  "Erminie"  at  the  Casino  in 
the  eighties,  there  was  a  frequent  attendant,  in  the  person  of 
the  heir  to  the  Brazilian  throne.  On  one  occasion  the  Prince 
expressed  to  me  a  desire  to  meet  Mr.  Francis  Wilson,  who  was 
then  performing  Caddy  with  so  much  success,  and  one  evening 
I  arranged  with  Mr.  Wilson  that  he  meet  the  Prince  in  his 
ragged  stage  togs  on  the  roof  garden  before  his  entrance  in 
the  first  act.  I  introduced  Wilson  to  the  Prince,  who  ad- 
dressed him  in  his  slang  parlance  thus :  "It  pleases  me  mightily 


102      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

to  meet  yer  royal  'ighness  and  when  I  land  in  Rio  I  'ope  to 
call  on  your  pop.  Would  yer  'ighness  like  to  jine  me  in  the 
'iint  on  Thursday,  'ave  some  fine  'orses  and  'ounds.  Won't 
yer  'ave  an  eye  opener*?"  The  Prince,  although  amazed  at 
the  query,  enjoyed  it  immensely,  called  the  waiter  and  ordered 
a  bottle  of  champagne,  and  when  it  arrived  Wilson  said: 
"None  for  me.  I'll  have  a  glass  of  croton."  He  got  it,  and 
with  a  hearty  grasp  of  the  hand  bid  the  heir  to  the  throne 
farewell  and  rushed  down  from  the  roof  garden  to  the  stage, 
just  in  time  for  his  entrance  with  Ravvy,  his  partner  in  crime. 

At  one  of  the  performances  of  "The  Marquis"  at  the 
Casino,  James  T.  Powers,  the  popular  comedian  who  was 
playing  the  part  of  Briolet,  had  occasion  to  swallow  during 
the  scene  a  dozen  or  more  tarts,  to  the  amazement  of  the 
audience.  The  imaginary  tarts  were  made  of  paper  which 
he  retained  in  his  mouth  until  after  leaving  the  stage.  At 
this  particular  performance,  after  taking  ten  or  eleven  paper 
tarts,  a  real  tart  filled  with  salt  was  placed  amidst  the  paper 
ones  and  in  his  hurry  he  bit  into  it.  One  can  imagine  the 
predicament  Powers  was  placed  in.  It  was  evidently  in- 
tended for  a  joke,  by  some  one  on  the  stage,  but  the  per- 
petrator was  never  discovered. 

In  the  eighties,  during  the  phenomenal  run  of  "Erminie," 
Miss  Pauline  Hall,  who  had  sung  herself  into  popularity 
through  her  artistic  rendition  of  that  famous  catchy  lullaby, 
was  in  the  habit  after  the  performance  to  take  her  magnificent 
and  costly  jewels  home  with  her  in  her  little  satchel.  She 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO  103 

was  accompanied  by  her  maid  and  one  evening  after  cross- 
ing Broadway  at  Thirty-ninth  Street,  she  was  attacked  by  a 
highwayman,  who  appropriated  Miss  Hall's  satchel  and  ran 
away.  The  prima  donna  with  her  maid,  hurried  to  their 
apartment  at  Seventh  Avenue  and  Thirty-ninth  Street,  and  in- 
formed the  police,  but  the  highwayman  was  never  discovered. 
Fortunately  Miss  Hall  had  taken  the  precaution  to  place  her 
jewels  in  the  keeping  of  her  maid  so  that  the  robber  had 
nothing  but  her  satchel  for  his  risk  and  trouble.  But  after 
that  experience  I  strenuously  advised  Miss  Hall  to  place  her 
valuables  in  my  safe  at  the  Casino,  and  she  acquiesced,  and 
there  were  not  any  further  robberies. 

As  already  stated  the  Casino  opened  on  Saturday  evening, 
October  2ist,  1882,  with  "The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief," 
and  after  a  limited  number  of  performances  had  been  given 
the  house  was  closed  to  permit  of  the  finishing  of  the  decora- 
tions and  furnishings.  When  all  was  in  readiness,  the  doors 
opened  once  more  on  December  3oth,  1882,  and  for  more 
than  ten  years  performances  were  given  without  interruption 
either  in  summer  or  winter.  By  actual  reckoning,  over  three 
million  five  hundred  thousand  people  had  witnessed  comic 
opera  performances  given  in  this  house  during  that  period,  and 
the  sumptuousness  and  brilliancy  of  the  many  successful  pro- 
ductions will  long  be  remembered  by  a  large  part  of  this 
immense  throng.  Almost  every  star  and  artist  of  prominence 
in  the  comic  opera  or  musical  comedy  world  to-day,  has  at 
some  period  of  their  career  appeared  in  this  appropriately 


104      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

named  "Home  of  Comic  Opera"  as  the  following  list  amply 
indicates,  and  in  the  order  of  their  presentation  at  the  Casino : 

"The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief"  STRAUSS.  Louise 
Paullin,  Lily  Post,  Mathilde  Cottrelly,  Jennie  Reiffarth, 
Signor  Perugini,  Joseph  Greensf elder,  George  Gaston  (fol- 
lowed later  by  Francis  Wilson),  Jay  Taylor,  Harry  Standish. 

"The  Sorcerer."  GILBERT  AND  SULLIVAN.  Lillian  Rus- 
sell, Laura  Joyce,  Madeline  Lucette,  Louise  Paullin,  John 
Howson,  Digby  Bell,  George  Olmi,  Charles  Campbell,  A.  W. 
Maflin. 

"Princess  of  Trebizonde"  OFFENBACH.  Lillian  Rus- 
sell, Laura  Joyce,  Madeline  Lucette,  Emma  Carson,  John 
Howson,  Digby  Rell,  George  Olmi,  A.  W.  Maflin. 

"Prince  Methusalem"  STRAUSS.  Mathilde  Cottrelly, 
Lily  Post,  Julie  de  Ruyther,  Rose  Beaudet,  Francis  Wilson, 
A.  W.  Maflin,  Jay  Taylor,  Harry  Standish,  Ellis  Ryse. 

"The  Beggar  Student"  MILLOECKER.  Bertha  Ricci, 
Rose  Leighton,  Rose  Beaudet,  Mathilde  Cottrelly,  Fred  Les- 
lie, William  T.  Carleton,  W.  S.  Rising,  Ellis  Ryse,  Harry 
Standish,  H.  D.  MacDonough,  Harry  Hamlin. 

"The  Merry  War"  STRAUSS.  Gertrude  Orme,  Lily  Post, 
Mathilde  Cottrelly,  Rose  Beaudet,  Fred  Leslie,  William  T. 
Carleton,  Signor  Perugini,  E.  Cripps,  J.  A.  Furey. 

"Falka"  CHASSAIGNE.  Mathilde  Cottrelly,  Bertha 
Ricci,  Carrie  Burton,  Hattie  Richardson,  Julie  De  Ruyther, 
Billie  Barlow,  J.  H.  Ryley,  Hubert  Wilke,  Frank  Tanne- 
hill,  Jr.,  Alfred  Klein  (brother  of  the  famous  author  Charles 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO          105 

Klein),  Harry  MacDonough,  A.  W.  Maflin,  Louis  Raymond. 

"Little  Duke"  -  LECOCQ.  Georgine  Von  Janaschowsky, 
Agnes  Folsom,  Genevieve  Reynolds,  Billie  Barlow,  J.  H. 
Ryley,  Hubert  Wilke. 

"Nell  Gwynne"  PLANQUETTE.  Mathilde  Cottrelly, 
Laura  Joyce  Bell,  Ida  Valerga,  Irene  Perry,  Annette  Hall, 
Billie  Barlow,  Jay  Taylor,  Charles  Dungan,  Wm.  Hamilton, 
Digby  Bell,  J.  H.  Ryley,  W.  H.  Fessenden,  Edward  Cameron, 
J.  A.  Furey. 

"Apajune"  MILLOECKER.  Mathilde  Cottrelly,  Lily 
Post,  Belle  Archer,  Kate  Ethel,  Rose  Marion,  Florence  Bell, 
Francis  Wilson,  W.  S.  Rising,  Jay  Taylor,  Ellis  Ryse,  Her- 
bert Archer. 

"Patience."  GILBERT  AND  SULLIVAN.  Mary  Beebe, 
Laura  Joyce  Bell,  Rose  Leighton,  Irene  Perry,  Ethel  Clare, 
J.  H.  Ryley,  Digby  Bell,  C.  W.  Dungan,  Geo.  Roseman, 
J.  A.  Furey,  George  Appleby. 

"Die  Fledermaus."  STRAUSS.  Rosalba  Beecher,  Ida 
Valerga,  Irene  Perry,  Agnes  Folsom,  Mathilde  Cottrelly, 
Mark  Smith,  De  Wolfe  Hopper,  C.  W.  Dungan,  Charles 
Plunkett,  A.  W.  Maflin,  Edwin  Whitney. 

"Polly."  SOLOMON.  Lillian  Russell,  Alice  Barnett, 
Rose  Beaudet,  Florence  Bemister,  Marion  Giroux,  Agnes 
Folsom,  Isabelle  Urquhart,  Hindie  Harrison,  Louise  Gordon, 
J.  H.  Ryley,  Harry  S.  Hilliard,  John  T.  McWade,  E.  H. 
Aiken. 

"Billee  Taylor."     SOLOMON.     Lillian  Russell,  Verona  Jar- 


106      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

beau,  Alice  Barnett,  Josie  Hall,  J.  H.  Ryley,  Harry  S.  Hil- 
liard,  John  E.  McQuade,  Wm.  White,  E.  P.  Temple. 

"Nanon"  GENEE.  Sadie  Martinet,  Pauline  Hall,  Billie 
Barlow,  Alice  Vincent,  Agnes  Folsom,  Rose  Beaudet,  Carrie 
Andrews,  Florence  Bell,  Adele  Langdon,  Marie  Koenig,  Sadie 
Wells,  Emma  Hanley,  Francis  Wilson,  Wm.  T.  Carleton, 
W.  H.  Fitzgerald,  Alexis  Gisicko,  Harry  Standish,  Gustavus 
Levick,  Wm.  Herbert. 

"Amorita."  CZIBULKA.  Pauline  Hall,  Madeline  Lucette, 
Georgie  Dickson,  Billie  Barlow,  Agnes  Folsom,  Rose  Beaudet, 
Florence  Bell,  Adele  Langdon,  Victoria  Schilling,  Carrie  An- 
drews, Emma  Hanley,  Eugenie  Maynard,  Frank  Celli,  Fran- 
cis Wilson,  W.  H.  Fitzgerald,  Harry  Standish,  Alfred  Klein. 

"Gypsy  Baron."  STRAUSS.  Pauline  Hall,  Mae  St.  John, 
Letitia  Fitch,  Georgie  Dickson,  Billie  Barlow,  Victoria 
Schilling,  Agnes  Folsom,  Rose  Beaudet,  Emma  Hanley,  Flor- 
ence Bell,  William  Castle,  Francis  Wilson,  W.  H.  Fitzgerald, 
Alfred  Klein. 

"Eriminie"  JAKOBOWSKI.  (Original  cast.)  Pauline  Hall, 
Marie  Jansen,  Marion  Manola,  Jennie  Weathersby, 
Agnes  Folsom,  Rose  Beaudet,  Francis  Wilson,  Wm.  S.  Daboll, 
Harry  Pepper,  Carl  Irving,  Max  Freeman,  A.  W.  Maflin, 
Murry  Woods,  C.  L.  Weeks  and  J.  A.  Furey;  (and  in  subse- 
quent casts) :  Louise  Sylvester,  Mary  Stuart,  Alma  Varry, 
Georgie  Dennin,  Josie  Sadler,  Sadie  Kerby,  Isabelle  Urquhart, 
Fanny  Rice,  Eva  Davenport,  Sylvia  Gerrish,  Florence  Bell, 
Eva  Goodrich,  Kitty  Cheatham,  Henry  Hallam,  Mark  Smith, 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO          107 

George  Olmi,  Charles  Plunkett,  Edwin  Stevens,  Fred  Solo- 
mon, James  T.  Powers,  B.  F.  Joslyn,  Charles  Campbell, 
John  E.  Brand,  N.  S.  Burnham,  Ellis  Ryse,  Frank  Ridsdale, 
E.  B.  Knight. 

"The  Marquis"  LACOME.  Bertha  Ricci,  Isabelle  Urqu- 
hart,  Sylvia  Gerrish,  Lillian  Grubb,  Rose  Wilson,  Estelle 
Morris,  Rose  Ricci,  James  T.  Powers,  Mark  Smith,  Courtice 
Pounds,  Max  Freeman,  Arthur  W.  Tarns,  Edgar  Smith, 
Henry  Leoni. 

"Madelon"  LECOCQ.  Bertha  Ricci,  Isabelle  Urquhart, 
Sylvia  Gerrish,  Lillian  Grubb,  Rose  Wilson,  Florence  Barry, 
James  T.  Powers,  Mark  Smith,  Courtice  Pounds,  Arthur  W. 
Tarns,  Edgar  Smith,  Henry  Leoni. 

"Nadjy"  CHASSAIGNE.  Lillian  Russell,  Marie  Jansen, 
Isabelle  Urquhart,  Jennie  Weathersby,  Fanny  Rice,  Elma 
Delaro,  Kate  Uart,  Sylvia  Gerrish,  Zelma  Rawlston,  Laura 
Russell,  Emma  Lawrence,  Rose  Ricci,  Florence  Melin,  Clara 
Coudray,  Fanny  Adams,  Rene  Ferrers,  Addie  Mason,  Edith 
Mai,  Ina  Weddell,  James  T.  Powers,  Mark  Smith,  Jno.  E. 
Brand,  Henry  Hallam,  Fred  Solomon,  Edgar  Smith,  A.  W. 
Maflin,  A.  W.  Tarns,  J.  A.  Furey. 

"The  Yeomen  of  the  Guard"  GILBERT  AND  SULLIVAN. 
Bertha  Ricci,  Sylvia  Gerrish,  Isabelle  Urquhart,  Kate  Uart, 
J.  H.  Ryley,  George  Broderick,  Henry  Hallam,  George  Olmi, 
Charles  Renwick,  Fred  Solomon,  H.  Adams. 

"The  Brigands"  OFFENBACH.  Lillian  Russell,  Fanny 
Rice,  Isabelle  Urquhart,  Sylvia  Gerrish,  Anna  O'Keefe,  Laura 


io8      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Russell,  Delia  Stacey,  Jennie  Donaldson,  Eva  Johns,  Flor- 
ence Wilson,  May  Grosvenor,  Clara  Randall,  Edwin  Stevens, 
Fred  Solomon,  Max  Lube,  John  E.  Brand,  Henry  Hallam, 
Richard  F.  Carroll,  H.  E.  Walton,  George  Olmi,  A.  W. 
Maflin,  Arthur  W.  Tarns,  Henry  Leoni,  Chas.  Priest,  Henry 
Vogel,  Charles  Renwick,  J.  A.  Furey,  Fred  Hall. 

"The  Drum  Major''  OFFENBACH.  Pauline  Hall,  Marie 
Halton,  Eva  Davenport,  Sylvia  Gerrish,  Florence  Bell, 
Georgie  Dennin,  James  T.  Powers,  Edwin  Stevens,  John  E. 
Brand,  N.  S.  Burnham,  Charles  Campbell,  A.  W.  Maflin. 

"The  Grand  Duchess"  OFFENBACH.  Lillian  Russell, 
Fanny  Rice,  Isabelle  Urquhart,  Anna  O'Keefe,  Drew  Donald- 
son, Delia  Stacey,  Laura  Russell,  Florence  Wilson,  Sylvia 
Thorne,  Fred  Solomon,  Henry  Hallam,  Richard  F.  Carroll, 
Max  Lube,  Arthur  W.  Tarns,  George  Olmi,  Henry  Leonir 
Charles  Renwick,  J.  A.  Furey,  Charles  Priest,  George  R. 
White,  M.  J.  Thomas. 

"The  Brazilian.'"  CHASSAIGNE.  Marie  Halton,  Edith 
Ainsworth.  Grace  Golden,  Eva  Johns,  George  Olmi,  John  E. 
Brand,  Fred  Solomon,  Richard  F.  Carroll,  Henry  Hallam, 
Max  Lube,  A.  W.  Tarns,  A.  W.  Maflin,  Henry  Leoni. 

"Madame  Angof."  LECOCQ.  Camille  D'Arville,  Marie 
Halton,  Eva  Davenport,  Grace  Golden,  Eva  Johns,  Lizzie 
Leoni,  Florence  Bell,  Drew  Donaldson,  Fred  Solomon,  Henry 
Hallam,  Charles  H.  Drew,  Max  Lube,  A.  W.  Maflin,  George 
Olmi,  A.  W.  Tarns,  Henry  Leoni. 

"Poor  Jonathan."     MILLOECKER.     Lillian  Russell,  Fanny 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO          109 

Rice,  Eva  Davenport,  Grace  Golden,  Harry  MacDonough, 
Charles  Campbell,  Max  Figman,  A.  W.  Tarns,  James  Maas, 
Edgar  Smith,  Edwin  Stevens,  Jefferson  De  Angelis. 

"Apollo''1  HELLMESBERGER.  Lillian  Russell,  Louise 
Beaudet,  Eva  Davenport,  Grace  Golden,  Jefferson  De  An- 
gelis, Edwin  Stevens,  Ferdinand  Schuetz,  Harry  MacDon- 
ough, Max  Figman,  Edgar  Smith,  Charles  Renwick,  James 
Maas. 

"Indigo."  STRAUSS.  PaulineL'Allemand,  Louise  Beau- 
det, Eva  Davenport,  Villa  Knox,  Jefferson  De  Angelis, 
Edwin  Stevens,  Ferdinand  Schuetz,  Edgar  Smith,  Charles 
Renwick. 

"The  Tyrolean."  ZELLER.  Marie  Tempest,  Annie  Mey- 
ers, Anna  Mantell,  Jennie  Reiffarth,  Carrie  Boelen,  Drew 
Donaldson,  Jefferson  De  Angelis,  Fred  Solomon,  Ritchie 
Ling,  Henry  Leoni,  Harry  MacDonough. 

"Cavalleria  Rusticana"  MASCAGNI.  Laura  Bellini, 
Helena  von  Doenhoff,  Grace  Golden,  Charles  Bassett,  Wil- 
liam Pruette. 

"Nanon."  (Revival.)  Marie  Tempest,  Drew  Donald- 
son, Eva  Davenport,  Grace  Golden,  Edwin  Stevens,  Max 
Figman,  Fred  Solomon,  Ferdinand  Schuetz,  James  Maas. 

"Uncle  Celestin."  AUDRAN.  Annie  Meyers,  Sylvia  Ger- 
rish,  Villa  Knox,  Jennie  Reiffarth,  Jennie  Weathersby,  Mabel 
Stephenson,  Jefferson  De  Angelis,  Harry  MacDonough, 
Henry  Leoni,  Maurice  Abbey,  George  Mackenzie,  A.  W. 
Maflin,  J.  A.  Furey,  and  Loie  Fuller  in  her  serpentine  Dance. 


no      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

"Child  of  Fortune."  MILLOCKER.  Lily  Post,  Annie 
Meyers,  Jennie  Reiffarth,  Clara  Coudray,  Charles  Bassett, 
William  Pruette,  Henry  Leoni,  Harry  MacDonough. 

"The  Vice  Admiral."  MILLOCKER.  Annie  Meyers,  Villa 
Knox,  Lizzie  Derious  Daly,  Jennie  Reiffarth,  Emma  Hanley, 
Mabel  Potter,  Jefferson  De  Angelis,  Charles  Bassett,  Harry 
MacDonough,  Henry  Leoni. 

Following  is  list  of  operas  and  number  of  performances : 

The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief 234 

The  Sorcerer 21 

The  Princess  of  Trebizonde 50 

Prince  Methusalem 102 

The  Beggar  Student no 

The  Merry  War 69 

Falka 1 10 

The  Little  Duke 50 

Nell  Gwynne 43 

Apajune    .  .< 42 

Patience 22 

Die  Fledermaus     42 

Polly  55 

Billee  Taylor 7 

Nanon 150 

Amorita 103 

Gypsy  Baron 86 

Erminie   1,256 

The  Marquis 75 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO          111 

Madelon    5° 

Nadjy    256 

The  Yeomen  of  the  Guard loo 

The  Brigands 167 

The  Drum  Major 67 

The  Grand  Duchess •. '     145 

The    Brazilian 64 

Madame  Angot 61 

Poor  Jonathan 208 

Apollo   85 

Indigo    50 

Cavalleria  Rusticana 55 

The  Tyrolean 100 

Uncle  Celestin 60 

Child  of  Fortune 60 

The  Vice  Admiral 75 

The  success  of  the  Casino  productions  during  my  regime 
was  due  in  a  great  measure,  not  only  to  the  generally  well 
chosen  casts  and  artistic  stage  equipments,  but  to  the  stage 
and  musical  directors,  and  they  included  Heinrich  Conried, 
Richard  Barker,  Max  Freeman,  Jesse  Williams,  Gustave 
Kerker  (composer  of  the  famous  "Belle  of  New  York"), 
Ernst  Catenhusen,  Adolf  Novak,  J.  de  Novellis,  John  Braham, 
Hermann  Perlet,  Paul  Steindorff,  Selli  Simonson,  and  Ernest 
Salvator. 

The  following  named  scenic  artists,  Henry  E.  Hoyt,  Rich- 
ard Marston,  William  Voegtlin,  T.  S.  Plaisted,  Goatcher  and 


112      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Young  Harley  Merry  and  John  Mazzonivich,  are  also  de- 
serving of  much  credit  for  their  share  of  the  work  at  the 
Casino. 

One  after  another  some  of  the  leading  artists  of  the  Casino 
Company  retired,  first  it  was  Francis  Wilson,  then  followed 
Marie  Jansen,  then  Pauline  Hall  and  later  Lillian  Russell, 
accepting  more  lucrative  starring  engagements  with  other  or- 
ganizations and  creating  thereby  much  opposition.  I  there- 
upon decided  in  1892  to  change  the  policy  of  the  Casino  en- 
tirely, in  other  words  to  endeavor  to  establish  there  a  theater 
on  the  lines  of  the  Opera  Comique  in  Paris,  with  a  box  tier 
on  the  balcony  floor,  seats  and  boxes  to  be  sold  first  by  sub- 
scription, as  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House.  The  reper- 
toire was  to  be  made  up  of  the  works  of  the  lighter  French 
and  German  schools.  I  kept  this  entire  matter  a  secret,  sailed 
for  Europe  for  a  tour  of  inspection,  and  while  in  Paris  met 
Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan  at  the  Hotel  Bristol.  I  suggested 
to  him  my  idea  and  he  seemed  so  much  impressed  with  it 
that  he  said,  "Meet  me  in  New  York  in  two  weeks."  I  re- 
turned to  New  York  almost  immediately,  feeling  assured  of 
Mr.  Morgan's  co-operation,  but  to  my  heartfelt  regret  the 
directors  of  the  Casino  Company,  a  few  days  before  my  ar- 
rival, decided  to  turn  the  Casino  into  a  music  hall,  on  the 
plan  of  the  Empire  and  Alhambra  in  London,  with  smoking 
accessories,  etc.,  and  all  my  argument  with  the  directors  was 
of  no  avail,  and  I  was  obliged  to  take  the  first  steamer  back 
to  Europe  in  order  to  select  a  number  of  vaudeville  attrac- 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO  113 

tions  for  the  innovation  at  the  Casino.  While  I  was  absent, 
a  ballet  was  being  rehearsed  on  the  stage  of  the  Casino  under 
the  direction  of  the  famous  ballet  master,  Espinosa,  from 
the  Alhambra  Theater  of  London,  and  the  necessary  altera- 
tions in  the  auditorium  and  on  the  buffet  floor  were  perfected. 

I  closed  a  number  of  engagements  and  procured  several 
options  for  well  known  artists  while  abroad. 

Among  other  acts  I  presented  for  the  first  time  on  any  stage 
the  "Bronze  Figure  Group,"  which  from  its  description  I  felt 
would  meet  with  public  favor.  The  portrayers,  in  place  of 
fleshings,  covered  themselves  with  some  contrivance  colored 
in  bronze,  presenting  subjects  from  the  old  masters  very  clev- 
erly posed. 

Among  the  artists  who  witnessed  the  rehearsal  of  the 
"Bronze  Figure  Group"  at  the  Casino  on  March  1st,  1895, 
were  Augustus  St.  Gaudens,  William  M.  Chase,  J.  S.  Hart- 
ley, J.  G.  Brown,  J.  Wells  Champney,  Francis  S.  Jones,  J. 
D.  Smilie,  Frederick  Carl  Blenner,  M.  F.  H.  de  Haas,  F.  S. 
Church,  George  R.  Halm,  George  W.  Maynard  and  Carroll 
Beckwith. 

"The  Disk  Thrower,"  "The  Fisher,"  "The  Gladiator," 
"The  Runners,"  and  "Ajax"  were  admirably  presented,  elicit- 
ing most  flattering  encomiums  from  the  distinguished  au- 
dience. But  some  prudes  objected  to  the  exhibition,  the  mat- 
ter was  brought  before  the  court,  and  Mr.  William  M.  Chase, 
then  President  of  the  Society  of  American  Artists,  testified 
in  my  behalf  as  follows: 


1 14      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Q.     Have  you  seen  the  bronze  statues  at  the  Casino? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.     You  have  made  a  study  of  art? 

A.     Yes. 

Q.     In  your  opinion  is  the  exhibition  modest  or  immodest? 

A.     Modest. 

Q.     Did  they  impress  you  as  being  in  any  sense  indecent? 

A.  I  had  the  impression  that  I  was  looking  at  bronze  figures 
and  I  thought  them  very  fine  reproductions  of  statues  I  have  seen. 

Q.  (By  Justice  Simms.)  Now,  Mr.  Chase,  don't  you  consider 
the  exhibition  on  a  public  stage  of  a  theater  to  which  the  public 
are  admitted  on  the  payment  of  a  fee,  of  persons  nude  or  partly 
nude  an  indecent  and  immoral  spectacle? 

A.  I  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  they  are  nude,  and  consider  only 
the  artistic  result,  and  from  that  standpoint  I  don't  consider  them 
any  more  indecent  than  the  original  figures  would  be  in  a  public 
gallery. 

Q.  You  think  that  the  exhibition  of  a  nude  figure  in  a  public 
place  would  not  tend  to  deprave  the  public  mind? 

A.  On  the  contrary,  I  think  that  it  would  cultivate  the  artistic 
sentiments  of  the  people. 


Mr.  J.  G.  Brown,  the  famous  painter  of  street  gamins, 
sustained  Mr.  Chase  and  earnestly  declared  that  the  bronze 
figures  did  not  represent  vitality  or  suggest  creatures  of  flesh 
and  blood  and  were  in  his  opinion  excellent  representations 
of  beautiful  statues  produced  by  the  ancient  masters,  which 
the  genius  of  the  present  age  could  never  hope  to  reproduce. 

This  case  created  a  great  sensation  at  the  time,  was  carried 
to  the  Appellate  Division  and  finally  decided  in  my  favor. 

The  vaudeville  innovation  at  the  Casino  was  finally 
launched  on  September  26th,  1892,  and  although  the  per- 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  CASINO          115 

formances  were  excellent  of  their  kind,  the  public  had  not  yet 
become  accustomed  to  smoking  in  the  auditorium  of  a  theater, 
and  furthermore  there  seemed  to  be  a  general  feeling  of  sor- 
row on  the  part  of  the  public  that  the  "Home  of  Comic 
Opera"  had  broken  away,  so  to  speak,  from  its  moorings,  and 
they  zealously  kept  away,  with  the  result  that  the  artists  under 
engagement  were  placed  elsewhere,  the  vaudeville  experiment 
discontinued,  and  the  Casino  turned  again  to  its  former  policy. 

On  November  14th,  1892,  Mr.  J.  M.  Hill  presented  for 
the  first  time  at  the  Casino,  the  delightful  operetta  "The 
Fencing  Master,"  by  DeKoven  and  Smith,  with  Marie  Tem- 
pest as  Francesca,  and  it  scored  deserved  success. 

Mr.  Hill  was  of  a  most  speculative  disposition.  On  one  oc- 
casion he  informed  me  that  his  leading  artiste  had  requested 
that  he  permit  her  to  select  her  own  costumes  for  a  musical 
play  then  in  rehearsal.  He  acquiesced  good-naturedly  and 
gave  her  carte  blanche  to  purchase  what  she  wanted.  The 
artiste  selected  not  only  the  costumes  and  accessories  but  lin- 
gerie, stockings,  shoes,  slippers,  hats,  etc.  The  bill,  amount- 
ing to  nearly  two  thousand  dollars,  was  sent  to  Mr.  Hill  and 
after  scrutinizing  it,  he  said  to  the  artiste,  "Why  didn't  you 
buy  the  whole  establishment  while  you  were  at  it?  I  shall 
pay  this,  but  hereafter  carte  blanche  will  be  excluded  from  my 
vocabulary." 


THE  STRAUSS  GOLDEN  JUBILEE 


CHAPTER  IX 
THE  STRAUSS  GOLDEN  JUBILEE 

Presentation  of  the  Gold  and  Silver  Wreath  to  the  "Waltz 
King" — Incidents  Relating  to  the  Celebration — The  Con- 
tributors to  the  Wreath. 

IN  my  whole  career  nothing  has  given  me  greater  pleasure 
than  being  chosen  custodian  of  the  magnificent  gold  and 
silver  wreath  (the  cost  of  which  was  defrayed  by  Amer- 
ican admirers)  which  I  had  the  honor  to  present  to  Johann 
Strauss  in  Vienna  on  the  occasion  of  his  golden  jubilee  on 
October  15th,  1894. 

Before  my  departure  at  the  beginning  of  October  with  the 
Strauss  wreath  in  my  trunk,  I  arranged  that  on  the  evening 
of  its  presentation,  every  theater  and  concert  orchestra  in  New 
York  play  programs  made  up  entirely  of  the  works  of  Johann 
Strauss,  befitting  this  historic  event.  Arriving  in  London,  I 
exhibited  the  wreath  at  Tiffany's  on  Regent  Street,  where  it 
was  acclaimed  by  public  and  press  an  artistic  masterpiece,  and 
as  soon  thereafter  as  possible  I  left  for  Vienna,  where  great 
preparations  had  been  perfected  for  the  Strauss  Jubilee  fes- 
tivities. 

I  doubt  if  in  the  annals  of  the  world's  history  any  one  has 
ever  enjoyed  the  triumphs,  the  ovations,  the  love  and  admira- 
tion which  the  whole  world  has  united  in  extending  to 

119 


120      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Vienna's  son,  Johann  Strauss,  the  composer,  director,  and  man, 
of  whom  Richard  Wagner  said:  "One  Johann  Strauss  waltz 
overshadows  in  respect  to  animation,  finesse,  and  real  musical 
value,  most  of  the  mechanical,  borrowed,  factory-made  prod- 
ucts of  the  present  time."  And  now  was  held  the  golden  an- 
niversary of  Strauss'  marriage  to  the  lovely  muse  of  melody. 
With  his  black  hair,  straight,  elastic  figure  and  sprightly  car- 
riage, genial  manners,  and  the  fire  of  genius  burning  in  his 
eyes — who  would  accuse  him  of  seventy  years?  He  cer- 
tainly danced  through  life  to  the  accompaniment  of  his  own 
waltzes. 

Twenty  years  before,  the  Theater  an  der  Wien  was  the 
scene  of  Strauss'  first  operatic  production  and  triumph,  so  it 
seemed  but  fitting  that  the  first  evening  of  celebration, 
October  12th,  1894,  be  dedicated  to  the  production  of  his  new 
opera  "Jabuka"  in  the  same  house.  The  theater  was  packed 
from  pit  to  gallery,  and  the  success  was  a  foregone  conclusion. 
The  cast  included  the  favorites:  Gerardi,  Frau  Pohlner,  Frau 
Biedermann  and  Messrs.  Streitmann,  Felix  and  Josephi. 

Saturday  evening,  October  13th,  there  was  presented  in  the 
Royal  Opera  House  the  new  ballet  "Rund  um  Wien"  in 
honor  of  the  master.  In  the  first  act,  amid  artistic  grouping 
of  the  dancers  and  exquisite  scenic  effects,  the  center  rose  of 
an  immense  floral  wreath  unfolded  its  petals  and  disclosed  an 
excellent  portrait  of  Strauss.  The  feted  man  was  dragged 
from  his  box  and  fairly  carried  onto  the  stage  amid  the  en- 
thusiastic plaudits  of  the  great  audience. 


THE  STRAUSS  GOLDEN  JUBILEE  121 

The  next  morning,  in  the  Musik-vereinsaal,  was  assembled 
a  most  distinguished  gathering.  In  the  boxes  were  Brahms, 
Hanslick,  Schratt,  Sonnenthal,  Materna,  Beeth,  VanDyck, 
Lucca,  in  short,  all  the  shining  lights  of  Vienna's  artistic  cir- 
cle. The  "Fledermaus"  overture  was  never  more  perfectly 
given  than  by  the  superb  Philharmonic  Orchestra  under  the 
leadership  of  Fuchs.  "Wine,  Woman  and  Song,"  arranged 
for  chorus  and  orchestra,  set  every  head  nodding,  every  heart 
beating.  Alfred  Griinfeld,  the  pianist,  outdid  himself  in  a 
concert  paraphrase  from  Strauss  waltz  motifs  and  an  arrange- 
ment of  the  Persian  March.  The  "Blue  Danube"  waltz,  for 
chorus  and  orchestra,  acted  like  magic  on  the  hearers,  and 
Strauss,  who  during  the  concert  had  given  all  honors  to  the 
performers,  was  obliged  to  appear  and  respond  to  innumerable 
recalls. 

In  the  afternoon  a  second  concert  was  given  by  the  Strauss 
orchestra,  under  the  direction  of  the  fascinating  Eduard 
Strauss.  A  garland  of  interwoven  Strauss  compositions  dat- 
ing from  1844  to  1894,  electrified  the  audience,  and  honors 
were  shared  by  the  brothers. 

The  reception  Monday  morning,  October  15th,  was  the 
event  of  the  festivities.  The  beautiful  home  of  the  master  at 
No.  4  Igelgasse,  was  an  immense  bower  of  loveliness;  and 
what  an  assemblage  graced  the  scene!  Such  talent,  genius 
and  brains;  the  greatest  representatives  of  literature,  music, 
art  and  culture  were  gathered  together  to  pay  homage  to  the 
nineteenth  century's  most  beloved  musician.  There  they 


122       THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

were — Brahms,  Hanslick,  Fuchs,  Jahn,  Richter,  Brill,  Renard, 
Griinfeld,  Gericke,  Goldmark,  Goldschmidt,  Kremser,  Tilgner, 
Count  Kinsky,  Lucca,  Dr.  Griihl,  Bosendorfer,  Sonnenthal, 
and  Baron  Bezecny,  who  had  charge  of  the  arrangements. 
The  rooms  were  filled  with  rare  and  costly  presents,  while  in 
the  stairways  and  every  nook  and  corner  there  were  laurel 
wreaths  and  flowers. 

There  were  present  only  four  Americans,  Miss  Lillian  Apel, 
a  very  talented  pianist  who  had  been  studying  in  Vienna  with 
Letchetisky,  Miss  Harriet  Cady,  Mr.  Glentworth,  correspond- 
ent of  the  New  York  Herald,  and  myself. 

Robert  Fuchs  had  written  and  dedicated  to  Strauss  a  sere- 
nade suite,  with  motifs  taken  from  the  "Fledermaus,"  which 
delighted  everyone.  It  was  played  under  the  direction  of 
Herr  Fuchs,  by  the  Conservatory  Orchestra,  composed  of 
twenty-five  students  of  stringed  instruments.  The  master 
was  overwhelmed  by  the  tribute  paid  him,  and  exclaimed :  "It 
is  too  much ;  I  do  not  deserve  it."  I  thereupon  took  the  floor 
and  delivered  my  speech  in  German,  of  which  the  following 
is  a  translation: 

"It  affords  me  unlimited  pleasure  to  have  been  selected  on 
behalf  of  my  American  brothers  upon  this  occasion — an  occa- 
sion so  unique,  so  deserving,  so  remarkable  of  remembrance. 

"When  it  was  announced  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic 
that  a  committee  had  been  formed  in  Vienna  to  celebrate  in 
this  your  noted  city,  in  a  fitting  manner,  the  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary of  the  accession  to  conductorship  of  one  whose  name  is 


THE  STRAUSS  GOLDEN  JUBILEE  WREATH 


THE  STRAUSS  GOLDEN  JUBILEE  123 

worldwide,  the  idea  occurred  to  us  that  Americans  ought  to 
have  a  part  in  such  a  celebration,  and  you  will  be  glad  with 
me  to  know  that  America  bears  her  part  on  this  occasion  in 
offering  a  tribute  to  that  genius  of  popular  music  who  has  done 
more  to  gladden  the  hearts  of  the  masses  and  has  set  more 
feet  in  sympathetic  motion  than  any  other  living  musician,  a 
tribute  which  will  show  that  Americans  are  not  the  heathens 
or  savages  in  the  musical  world  which  many  Europeans  might 
consider  them  to  be,  but  on  the  contrary  are  heartily  in  touch 
with  every  true  artist  and  his  work. 

"It  will  interest  you  to  know,  that  at  the  Casino  in  New 
York,  under  my  own  direction,  was  first  presented  in  the  Eng- 
lish language  one  of  Strauss'  operettas,  inaugurating  that 
playhouse  with  his  delightful  'The  Queen's  Lace  Handker- 
chief (Das  Spitzentuch  der  Konigin),  which  was  followed 
by  the  'Fledermaus,'  'Prince  Methusalem,'  'The  Merry  War,' 
'Indigo,'  and  'The  Gypsy  Baron,'  all  of  which  were  popular 
successes. 

"Without  hesitation,  it  can  be  stated  that  your  distinguished 
master  is  deserving  of  the  thanks  of  the  New  World  for 
creating  a  new  era  in  dance  music  and  showing  the  people  how 
it  should  be  played. 

"Your  great  leader  will  recall,  how  at  the  Boston  Peace 
Jubilee  in  1870,  at  the  first  rehearsal,  conducting  himself  in 
his  masterly  manner  one  thousand  musicians,  he  announced 
that  he  had  never  heard  the  'Pizzicato  Polka'  and  the  'Blue 
Danube  Waltz'  interpreted  with  more  vim,  precision,  and 


124      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

feeling  than  on  that  memorable  occasion,  a  result  due  not  to 
that  gigantic  orchestra,  but  to  the  magnetic  genius  of  the  mas- 
ter with  the  baton. 

"As  a  slight  token  of  regard  and  esteem  for  the  'Waltz 
King,'  one  hundred  of  America's  most  distinguished  com- 
posers, musicians,  conductors  and  other  admirers  have  en- 
abled Mr.  Paulding  Farnham,  the  artist,  to  design,  and 
Messrs.  Tiffany  and  Company  to  manufacture,  the  silver  and 
gold  laurel  wreath  which  I  now  hold  in  my  hand.  Each  of 
the  fifty  leaves  is  inscribed  with  the  name  of  a  favorite  com- 
position of  the  master,  his  portrait,  with  a  strain  of  his  fa- 
mous 'On  the  Beautiful  Blue  Danube  Waltz'  in  gold,  de- 
pictive of  the  'Golden  Wedding'  of  his  artistic  career,  and  the 
intermingling  of  the  Austrian  and  the  American  colors. 

"With  America's  high  appreciation  of  his  genius  and  work, 
a  work  which  we  hope  may  yet  be  prolonged  for  many  years, 
I  present,  on  behalf  of  those  whom  I  have  named,  this  token 
to  the  great  master  and  composer,  Johann  Strauss." 

Herr  Strauss  in  response  said  that  he  owed  everything  to 
his  predecessors,  and  above  all  to  his  father,  who  showed  him 
the  way  to  musical  progress,  especially  in  the  sphere  of  dance 
music.  "My  feeble  merit,"  he  continued,  "having  only  taken 
an  enlarged  form  and  broadened  preceding  methods,  I  feel 
that  you  do  me  too  much  honor.  I  am  no  orator,  I  have 
spoken  enough." 

Strauss  then  fairly  wrung  my  hands,  and  all  crowded  about 
to  admire  the  most  beautiful  gift  of  the  jubilee.  It  was  the 


THE  STRAUSS  GOLDEN  JUBILEE  125 

most  eloquent  tribute  paid  him  and  Strauss  testified  his  appre- 
ciation by  suggesting  that  it  alone  adorn  the  banquet  table  in 
the  evening  at  the  Grand  Hotel  and  that  later  it  be  exhibited 
in  the  National  Museum. 

My  "Strauss  Jubilee  Waltz,"  which  I  dedicated  by  permis- 
sion to  the  Waltz  King,  formed  part  of  the  musical  diet  at 
the  banquet  and  I  had  the  honor  of  a  place  next  to  the  only 
lady  present,  Frau  Johann  Strauss,  and  Herr  Eduard  Strauss, 
to  whom  I  casually  remarked:  "If  you  ever  contemplate  pay- 
ing another  visit  to  America  (he  had  been  there  with  his  or- 
chestra in  the  early  eighties)  may  I  count  on  its  being  under 
my  management'?"  The  Herr  Director,  taking  me  by  the 
hand,  replied:  "You  have  my  assurance,  that  if  ever  I  go  to 
America  again,  it  shall  be  under  your  direction." 

In  connection  therewith  the  following  characteristic  letter 
from  America's  foremost  conductor  is  of  interest : 

Fairhaven,  Mass. 

July  2  ist,  1894. 
Rudolph  Aronson,  Esq., 

New  York. 
Dear  Sir:— 

Your  letter  was  forwarded  to  me  here.  Enclosed  please  find 
check  for  my  subscription  towards  the  silver  wreath  to  be  presented 
to  Johann  Strauss. 

My  orchestra  has  disbanded  for  the  summer  and  will  not  meet 
until  October.  Otherwise  I  am  sure  the  members  of  Thomas'  Or- 
chestra would,  like  myself,  have  considered  it  an  honor  to  have 
signed  your  paper  and  would  have  been  glad  of  the  opportunity  to 
show  their  appreciation  of  this  genius  of  popular  music. 

Yours  truly, 

THEODORE  THOMAS. 


126      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Those  who  subscribed  to  the  wreath  were : 

Rudolph  Allen,  Rudolph  Aronson,  John  H.  Burdett, 
Sigmund  Bernstein,  David  Blakely,  Charles  Henry  Butler, 
George  L.  Beebe,  A.  B.  Bauer,  C.  M.  Bomeisler,  Charles  O. 
Bassett,  L.  S.  Bernheimer,  H.  C.  Barnabee,  Ernest  Caten- 
husen,  Lucciano  Conterno,  Albert  Crane,  A.  Murio  Celli, 
Richard  F.  Carroll,  Laura  F.  Collins,  Mathilde  Cottrelly, 
John  Church  Co.,  A.  De  Novellis,  Walter  Damrosch,  Ludwig 
Englander,  George  Ehret,  G.  Emil  Elliot,  M.  I.  Epstein, 
Max  Figman,  Nahan  Franko,  Max  Freeman,  L.  Froehlich, 
L.  Fuenkenstein,  C.  A.  Graninger,  H.  S.  Gordon,  Theodore 
C.  Gross,  Leo  Goldmark,  Victor  Herbert,  Wm.  Frank  Hall, 
Oscar  Hammerstein,  De  Wolf  Hopper,  H.  W.  Hunt,  J.  W. 
Herbert,  T.  B.  Harms  &  Co.,  A.  Herrman,  M.  Hirschfield, 
Reginald  De  Koven,  Charles  H.  Ditson,  Leo  Ditrichstein, 
Oliver  Ditson  Company,  Jefferson  De  Angelis,  James  C. 
Duff,  Gustave  Kerker,  Alexander  Lambert,  Louis  Lombard, 
Jules  Levy,  Julius  J.  Lyons,  Arthur  Mees,  Max 
Maretzek,  Ovide  Musin,  A.  Newman,  Ernest  Neyer,  J.  W. 
Norcross,  Jr.,  J.  L.  Ottomeyer,  Charles  Puerner,  Hermann 
Perlet,  A.  R.  Parsons,  Simon  Hassler,  Rafael  Joseffy,  R.  E. 
Johnston,  Theo.  John,  G.  Jacquin,  Wm.  Knabe  &  Co.,  Paul 
Steindorff,  H.  E.  Schuberth,  Thos.  Q.  Seabrooke,  Henry 
Seligman,  Wm.  Steinway,  Frank  V.  Strauss,  George  Sweet, 
Theodore  Thomas,  A.  Tomaso,  Aeolian  Company,  R.  Thai- 
Ion,  Arthur  W.  Tarns,  Samuel  Untermyer,  F.  C.  Whitney, 
Francis  Wilson,  Wm.  Pruette,  George  Purdy,  L.  M.  Ruben, 


THE  STRAUSS  GOLDEN  JUBILEE  127 

W.  B.  Rogers,  W.  J.  Rostetter,  G.  M.  Rosenberg,  A.  Reiff,  Jr., 
J.  H.  Ryley,  Morris  Reno,  A.  G.  Robyn,  Anton  Seidl,  John 
Philip  Sousa,  Jesse  Williams,  C.  F.  Wernig,  A.  Waldauer,  Carl 
Zerrahn. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  extolling  in  the  highest  degree  the 
unparalleled  services  rendered  the  cause  of  music  in  this  coun- 
try by  Mr.  Theodore  Thomas.  I  was  a  frequent  attendant 
not  only  of  the  Philharmonic  Society  Concerts  under  his  con- 
ductorship,  but  of  his  excellent  summer  night  concerts  at  the 
Central  Park  Garden  at  Seventh  Avenue,  Fifty-eighth  and 
Fifty-ninth  streets,  New  York,  when  I  was  quite  a  youth  in 
the  early  seventies.  On  Thursday  evenings,  I  remember, 
Thomas  devoted  the  second  part  of  the  program  to  more 
serious  and  classical  compositions,  and  on  one  or  two  occasions 
when  that  second  part  consisted  wholly  of  works  by  Wagner 
(the  "Rienzi"  Overture,  "Tannhauser"  March,  Introduction  to 
the  third  act  of  "Lohengrin"),  a  large  part  of  the  audience  de- 
liberately left  the  hall,  causing  Thomas  to  remark  from  the 
platform  that  as  soon  as  the  anti-Wagnerites  had  finished 
retiring,  he  would  resume  his  program!  Afterwards  Thomas 
and  his  admirable  orchestra  went  to  Cincinnati,  and  later  on 
to  Chicago,  where  finally  a  permanent  magnificent  orchestra 
was  organized  and  a  great  hall  erected  for  him,  which  is  a 
lasting,  well-deserved  monument  to  that  genius  of  the  baton 
and  exponent  of  all  schools  of  music. 

After  Theodore  Thomas'  absence  from  New  York  for 
many  years,  he  announced  a  series  of  concerts  with  his  Chi- 


128      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

cago  Orchestra  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  in  New 
York,  and  I  conceived  the  idea  that  it  would  be  a  fitting  com- 
pliment to  present  Thomas  with  a  loving  cup  at  the  first  of 
these  concerts. 

I  called  upon  Mr.  William  Steinway  (the  head  of  the  firm 
of  Messrs.  Steinway  &  Sons),  whose  friendship  at  that  time 
with  the  great  conductor  had  been  somewhat  strained,  but 
when  I  suggested  a  loving  cup  for  Theodore  Thomas  he  at 
once  subscribed  for  a  handsome  amount,  and  so  did  many 
other  old  friends  and  admirers  of  Thomas. 

Mr.  Gerrit  Smith,  then  President  of  the  Manuscript  Society 
of  New  York,  made  an  appropriate  address  in  presenting  the 
artistic  cup,  and  the  leader  replied  in  most  grateful  terms. 

Contributors  to  the  testimonial  were:  William  Steinway, 
Elkan  Naumburg,  Henry  Seligman,  George  Foster  Peabody, 
B.  T.  Frothingham,  Walter  Damrosch,  Frederick  Cromwell, 
Henry  K.  Sheldon,  Homer  N.  Bartlett,  Smith  N.  Penfield, 
E.  C.  Phelps,  William  C.  Carl,  Grant  Odell,  George  William 
Warren,  Richard  H.  Warren,  Charles  H.  Ditson,  Warren 
Pond,  Rafael  Joseffy,  Gustave  A.  Kerker,  Arthur  Foote, 
William  Mason,  Mrs.  H.  Walter  Webb,  Mrs.  Henry  Draper, 
Mrs.  Ella  A.  Toedt,  Miss  Amy  C.  Townsend,  Charles  F.  Mc- 
Kim,  Stanford  White,  Frederick  Dean,  Mrs.  John  L.  Gard- 
ner (Boston),  Miss  Aloise  Breese,  Xaver  Scharwenka,  Victor 
Herbert,  Emma  Juch,  Adolph  Neuendorff,  Albert  Ross  Par- 
sons, Maude  Powell,  Bruno  Oscar  Klein,  John  K.  Paine,  Karl 


THE  STRAUSS  GOLDEN  JUBILEE  129 

Feininger,  Madame  De  Vere-Sapio,  Fanny  Bloomfield- 
Zeisler,  Ernest  Neyer,  C.  W.  McAlpin,  Gerrit  Smith,  J.  M. 
Lander,  Robert  Jaffray,  Jr.,  Morris  Reno,  Dr.  H.  Holbrook 
Curtis,  John  L.  Burdett,  B.  J.  Lang,  Arthur  Mees,  J.  F.  Von 
der  Heide,  S.  B.  Whitney,  Montgomery  Schuyler,  and 
Rudolph  Aronson. 

In  concluding  his  presentation  address  to  Mr.  Thomas,  Mr. 
Gerrit  Smith  said:  "When  Mr.  Rudolph  Aronson  presented 
his  testimonial  wreath  of  silver  to  Johann  Strauss  in  1894, 
on  the  occasion  of  his  fiftieth  anniversary  as  conductor,  the 
name  of  the  first  subscriber  was  Theodore  Thomas.  And 
what  was  the  reply  of  the  Waltz  King  at  seeing  this  name? 
'Der,  kann  aber  meine  Walzer  spielenT 

"To-night,  once  again,  by  the  labor  and  zeal  of  Mr.  Aron- 
son, we  as  friends,  musicians,  members  of  the  Manuscript 
Society  of  Composers,  and  other  well-wishers,  have  the  honor 
to  present  you  with  a  center  piece  or  bowl,  as  a  slight  token 
of  our  esteem.  I  believe  that  I  am  right  in  saying  that  you 
are  the  first  conductor  who  has  been  thus  publicly  honored  in 
this  country. 

"Upon  the  edge  of  the  bowl  appear,  in  bas-relief,  the  heads 
of  your  intimate  and  cherished  friends — the  musical  repre- 
sentatives of  different  nations — Wagner,  Brahms,  Berlioz, 
Rubinstein,  yourself  and  Beethoven.  I  place  Beethoven  last, 
because,  though  one  of  the  dearest  of  your  friends,  I  feel  as 
if  you  were  not  personally  so  well  acquainted  with  him.  If 
these  men  were  here  to-night,  they  would  rise  up,  and  call 


130      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

you  blessed.  While  this  souvenir  is  a  decorative  piece  for 
flowers,  I  may  add  that  it  may,  in  case  of  necessity,  be  used 
to  decorate  the  selfish  interior  of  man !" 

No  more  beautiful  tribute  could  have  been  extended  to 
Theodore  Thomas,  than  was  extended  him  at  the  banquet  at 
which  I  was  present  at  Delmonico's  in  New  York,  April  22nd, 
1891,  when  Mr.  George  William  Curtis  in  proposing  Mr. 
Thomas'  health  said: 

"I  rise  to  propose  the  health  of  a  public  benefactor,  an 
artist  whose  devotion  to  a  beautiful,  refining  and  ennobling 
art,  has  greatly  distinguished  his  name  and  given  great  dis- 
tinction to  the  city  in  which  he  lives.  He  has  made  the  con- 
ductor's baton  an  imperial  scepter,  with  which  he  rules  not 
only  an  orchestra,  but  an  ever-widening  realm  of  taste  and 
cultivation. 

"In  his  hand  it  has  become  an  enchanter's  wand,  which 
has  transformed  our  musical  ignorance  and  crudity  into  ample 
knowledge  and  generous  appreciation.  While  it  has  intro- 
duced us  to  the  crowned  and  acknowledged  masters  of  the 
past,  it  has  summoned  and  revealed  the  still  shadowy  figures 
of  the  future. 

"Musical  artists  have  come  and  gone.  Virtuosos  of  every 
kind  have  appeared,  have  charmed  us  and  have  vanished. 
But  through  all  changes,  the  one  figure  which  has  remained, 
the  laureate  of  the  past  and  the  herald  of  the  future,  is 
Theodore  Thomas." 


VISIT  TO  MOROCCO 


CHAPTER  X 
VISIT  TO  MOROCCO 

Days  in  Tangier — A  Ten-day  Journey  Through  the  Open 
Country  to  Fez — Presentation  to  Sultan  Mulai  Abdul  Aziz — 
Giving  the  Sultan  Music  Lessons. 

EVER  since  the  memorable  visit  to  the  New  York 
Casino  of  Sir  Edwin  Arnold,  the  noted  exponent  of 
the  Oriental  Arts,  I  was  imbued  with  a  desire  to  jour- 
ney over  that  interesting  country  so  ably  portrayed  by  him  and 
in  June,  1902,  armed  with  credentials  from  President  Roose- 
velt, Secretary  Hay  and  Secretary  Cortelyou,  I  again  crossed 
the  sea. 

Arriving  in  Paris,  I  left  there  almost  immediately  by  the 
"Sud-Express"  for  Madrid  and  thence  to  Seville,  Granada, 
Cadiz,  and  Algeciras.  Enchanted  with  what  I  had  seen  in 
all  these  quaint,  picturesque  places,  I  went  over  by  ferry  boat 
from  Algeciras  to  Gibraltar,  where  I  laid  in  a  stock  of  pro- 
visions, intended  for  my  journey  through  Morocco.  After  a 
day  or  two  I  sailed  from  Gibraltar  to  Tangier  (about  a  three- 
hour  ride)  on  the  little  steamer  Gibel-Terra.  I  remained 
four  or  five  days  in  Tangier,  investigating  the  mode  of  amuse- 
ment of  the  Moors  in  their  little  cafes.  The  music  was  weird 
and  noisy.  Occasionally  a  danseuse  was  introduced,  and  the 
hand-clapping  and  the  sounds  of  the  uncouth  voices  of  the 

133 


134      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

natives,  their  incessant  cigarette  smoking,  with  unusually 
strong  coffee  and  tea  accompaniment,  unmistakably  enlivened 
the  scene. 

One  street  in  Tangier  was  lighted  by  electricity,  but  the 
Moors  created  such  opposition  to  any  modern  innovation, 
that  the  lights  were  removed,  for  the  reason  that  under  the 
laws  of  Mohammed,  the  Moor  was  to  rise  at  sunrise  and  re- 
tire at  sunset.  An  attempt  was  also  made  to  construct  a 
railroad  from  Tangier  to  Fez,  but  again  the  Moors  objected 
because  walking  was  healthier  and  cheaper,  and  so  was  horse- 
back, camel,  mule  and  donkey  riding. 

I  presented  my  credentials  to  the  American  Consul  in  Tan- 
gier, who  courteously  provided  me  with  soldiers,  including  an 
old  Caid,  guards  and  attendants.  The  following  evening, 
with  our  horses  and  mules  and  ample  provisions,  we  started 
on  a  ten-day  journey  through  Morocco  to  Fez.  The  very 
first  night,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  just  as  the 
attendants  had  erected  our  tents  for  a  few  hours'  repose,  I 
heard  distant  sounds  of  quaint  instruments  and  tramping  of 
horses  and  camels.  "What  is  that?"  I  asked  the  old  Caid, 
who  had  traversed  the  country  hundreds  of  times.  He  re- 
plied that  it  was  a  little  caravan  bearing  merchandise  to 
Tangier  for  the  morning  market  there.  I  was  preparing  to 
retire  when  the  sound  became  more  and  more  distinct,  and 
in  a  very  short  time  there  appeared,  not  a  little,  but  an  extra- 
ordinarily big  caravan  of  more  than  two  hundred  camels  and 
horses.  So  inspired  was  I  with  this  remarkable  scene,  that 


VISIT  TO  MOROCCO  135 

then  and  there  I  jotted  down  my  Oriental  intermezzo,  "The 
Caravan,"  with  a  view  to  dedicating  it  to  the  Sultan  Mulai 
Abdul  Aziz. 

Day  after  day,  we  journeyed  along  over  hills  and  rivers, 


±&L 


-££?£. 


encountering  many  wild  birds,  including  goldfinches,  linnets, 
greenfinches,  blackbirds,  robins,  wagtails  and  numberless 
hawks,  and  now  and  then  we  came  across  a  running  courier 
carrying  the  government  mail. 

Near  a  place  called  El-Araish  where  there  was  a  line  of 
reddish  cliffs  about  three  hundred  feet  in  height,  my  horse  was 


136      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

so  worn  by  hard  riding  and  the  intense  heat,  that  he  fell  to  the 
ground,  expiring  in  a  few  moments.  I  was  provided  with  a 
mule  and  so  continued  my  trip  to  Fez.  Strewn  along  the 
roads  at  divers  points  on  the  long  journey,  were  hundreds  upon 
hundreds  of  carcasses  of  animals  of  various  species.  When- 
ever we  pitched  our  tents  for  an  afternoon  or  night  we  were 
met  by  the  head  man  or  burgomaster,  so  to  speak,  of  the 
village,  who  provided  us  with  basins  of  milk,  and  chickens  and 
eggs  of  excellent  quality  and  in  abundance. 

Early  in  July,  1902,  we  arrived  in  the  sacred  city  of  Fez,  the 
capital  of  Morocco.  I  was  then  garbed  in  the  Moorish  "ji-la- 
bah"  of  white,  somewhat  resembling  a  bath-robe,  and  my  head- 
gear consisted  of  a  sort  of  a  bonnet  made  up  of  strings  of 
heavy  white  cord.  By  mistake  our  little  caravan  entered  the 
wrong  street  and  we  were  accosted  by  an  individual,  evidently 
a  friend  of  the  old  Caid,  who  warned  us  that  on  this  street 
Europeans  ran  the  risk  of  being  butchered  by  fanatics,  so  we 
turned  in  another  direction.  Finally  we  reached  a  villa 
which  had  been  provided  for  our  party,  through  the  courtesy 
of  the  Sultan,  who  had  been  previously  apprised  of  my  coming 
by  the  American  consul  at  Tangier. 

The  morning  following  my  arrival  the  Sultan  sent  a  few  of 
his  equerries  to  the  villa  and  I  was  escorted  to  the  palace  on  one 
of  the  royal  horses.  As  we  passed  through  portal  after  portal, 
they  were  closed  and  securely  locked  after  us.  At  one  point 
we  encountered  a  "Rif"  fanatic,  expounding  to  a  great  number 
of  Moors  his  grievances,  and  he  became  so  exasperated  that  he 


VISIT  TO  MOROCCO  137 

endeavored  to  kill  himself  in  our  presence.  I  requested  the 
chief  equerry  kindly  to  pass  along  and  thus  avoid  the  sight  of 
this  outrageous  performance,  but  he  replied :  "Custom  compels 
us  to  wait  until  it  is  all  over."  Eventually  we  arrived  at  the 
palace,  and  I  had  the  honor  of  being  presented  to  His  Sherifian 
Highness,  the  Sultan  Mulai  Abdul  Aziz,  by  Menebbi,  the 
famous  Minister  of  War. 

I  presented  the  Sultan  with  a  gun  of  American  manufacture, 
with  smokeless  powder.  He  took  the  gun  out  in  the  court- 
yard and  fired  it  to  his  evident  delight.  Re-entering  the  re- 
ception room,  he  recognized  my  simple  eye-glasses,  took  them 
in  his  hand,  and  said  "American!"  I  nodded  affirmatively, 
and  he  continued  through  his  interpreter,  "It  is  remarkable 
how  Americans  improve  upon  everything,"  exhibiting  at  the 
same  time  a  pair  of  very  heavy  framed  spectacles,  and  placing 
mine  on  his  nose,  saying  (laughingly),  "Mazian"  (meaning 
"very  good").  Thereupon  the  Sultan  glued  his  ears  to  the 
twin  tubes  coming  from  a  phonograph.  A  broad  smile  was 
spread  over  his  face  and  he  leaned  forward  as  though  greatly 
interested  in  that  small  voice  that  came  from  the  wax  cylinder. 

Menebbi,  the  Minister  of  War,  lifted  a  warning  hand  for 
silence,  and  I  stood  for  a  moment  watching  the  expression  of 
the  Sultan's  face.  Presently  he  dropped  the  tubes,  rose  from 
his  seat,  and  came  to  me  again  with  outstretched  hand  and  led 
me  into  a  spacious  and  sumptuously  furnished  apartment  im- 
mediately adjoining  the  reception  room.  Ranged  along  the 
walls  were  four  pianos.  Naturally  I  was  interested  and  made 


138      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

that  interest  clear  by  opening  one,  and  to  my  surprise  it  was  of 
fine  American  manufacture. 

Through  the  interpreter  the  Sultan  said:  "You  understand 
the  thing  that  has  the  sounds  of  the  wind  and  the  echo  of  bells 
in  its  bosom4?  You  know  how  to  make  the  song  birds  from  its 
midst?  Ah,  I  can  see  it  in  your  eyes'?"  Mulai  laid  his  hand 
on  my  shoulder. 

I  confessed  that  I  was  more  or  less  in  love  with  the  piano- 
forte, and  permitted  my  hand  to  drop  on  the  keyboard;  there 
wasn't  anything  else  to  do  but  play,  so  I  played. 

I  gave  him  for  a  starter  Chopin,  Rubinstein,  Mozart,  Wag- 
ner; then  I  ran  into  the  lighter  music  of  Johann  Strauss,  pop- 
ular airs  of  the  day,  gavottes  and  characteristic  pieces. 

The  Sultan  was  enthralled.  I  turned  to  him  at  the  conclu- 
sion ;  there  was  a  far-away  look  in  his  eyes.  Suddenly  he  came 
to  and  said : 

"It  is  like  distant  thunder  and  the  echo  of  storms ;  it  is  the 
tramp  of  a  thousand  camels,  the  hoof  beats  of  a  herd  of  horses ; 
from  your  fingers  come  the  plaintive  notes  of  a  woman's  voice 
crying  and  then  cooing.  You  have  love  and  anger  and 
pleadings  by  the  handful.  I  am  blessed  with  two  ears.  In 
what  language  do  you  make  those  sounds'?" 

The  Minister  of  War  had  dropped,  oblivious  to  all  court 
etiquette,  upon  a  near-by  divan  and  was  puffing  violently  on 
a  six-inch  cigarette. 

"Can  you  play  in  Spanish?"  inquired  His  Majesty. 

"Music  is  the  same  in  all  languages.     Music  is  a  separate 


Photograph  hi/  Underwood  anil  Underwood 

ABD-EI.-AZIZ,  SULTAN  OF  MOROCCO 


VISIT  TO  MOROCCO  139 

language  to  learn,  but  all  nations  hear  it  alike,"  was  my  re- 
sponse. 

"Then  the  hand  of  the  Arab  may  play  the  music  that  the 
•ear  of  the  Christian  understands4?" 

"Yes,  just  the  same  as  the  Christian's  music  is  clear  to  the 
Arab,"  I  replied. 

"Then  it  will  have  to  be  changed,"  answered  Mulai,  fold- 
ing his  arms.  "I  want  something  new  for  Morocco." 

"It  will  be  difficult  to  change  sound,"  I  explained  to  him. 

"But,"  he  continued,  seeking  for  something  new,  "the  hoof 
beats  of  one  horse  do  not  sound  like  the  hoof  beats  of  his  sire. 
Can  you  let  the  light  in  on  that*?" 

I  did  my  best  to  illumine  the  problem,  and  finally  con- 
vinced him  that  one  and  the  same  horse  always  had  the  same 
sound  to  his  hoof  beats. 

"Suppose,"  said  the  Sultan  thoughtfully,  and  in  con- 
fidence, "I  should  lay  my  fingers  on  the  ivory  and  strike, 
would  it  make  your  heart  expand  in  joy  and  fill  your  soul 
with  a  tickling*?" 

"It  would  give  me  indescribable  pleasure."  Rising  from  the 
stool  I  motioned  him  to  be  seated. 

The  Minister  of  War  began  to  get  nervous  at  the  spectacle 
of  His  Majesty  at  the  keyboard.  "No  deed  done  by  the 
Sultan  can  weary  the  listener,"  said  El  Menebbi,  gathering 
his  robe  about  him.  It  was  evident  that  he  hadn't  grasped 
the  ruler's  meaning. 

Mulai  pulled  up  his  white  sleeve,  and  with  a  motion  sug- 


140      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

gesting  a  course  of  physical  culture,  violently  smote  the  keys. 

"Are  you  tickled1?"  was  his  inquiry,  as  the  sounds  died 
away  in  the  one  grand  inharmonious  echo. 

"Greatly,"  I  said,  looking  heavenward. 

"You  are  easily  tickled,"  was  his  retort.  "It  falls  into 
my  ears,  like  the  voice  of  famine  and  the  howl  of  disaster. 
My  heart  grows  smaller  and  my  soul  flees  from  my  body. 
Will  you  forgive  me  for  this  insult  and  drive  the  echoes 
of  it  out  of  my  ears'?  El  Menebbi,"  turning  to  the  Min- 
ister, "lead  me  away,  I  am  a  blight  to  the  world." 

I  had  some  difficulty  restraining  His  Majesty  from  rush- 
ing out  of  the  room.  He  was  greatly  overcome  and  asked 
me  to  forget  his  playing. 

At  about  two  o'clock  one  morning  shortly  after  my  first 
meeting  with  the  Sultan,  I  heard  a  voice  crying  out  under 
my  window,  I  got  up  and  drew  the  blind,  and  there  in  the 
moonlight  stood  El  Menebbi  gayly  attired  in  all  the  glit- 
ter of  his  office. 

"Will  the  stranger  with  the  quick  fingers  come  to  the 
palace  and  lead  His  Majesty  to  the  imperial  couch,  for  be- 
hold, Mulai  Abdul  Aziz  hath  both  hands  on  the  sound  box 
and  is  making  diabolical  noises  which  are  like  unto  nothing 
heard  before  in  the  city  of  Fez.  Hasten,  stranger,  or  Fez 
will  be  depopulated.  Lay  thy  soothing  fingers  upon  his  arm 
and  lead  him  away.  He  has  already  spurned  the  army.  I 
have  spoken." 

I  accompanied  El  Menebbi  back  to  the  palace  as  speedily 


VISIT  TO  MOROCCO  141 

as  possible.  The  Minister  of  War  was  right;  the  Sultan  was 
rehearsing  with  all  his  might.  I  stepped  to  his  side  and  with 
a  respectful  bow,  saluted  him. 

Rising,  with  a  satisfied  smile,  he  remarked:  "I  have 
found  several  notes  that  always  sound  the  same.  You 
have  let  the  light  of  the  world  into  my  bosom;  embrace 
me." 

During  the  interim  between  my  first  and  this  visit  I  com- 
pleted my  intermezzo,  "The  Caravan,"  after  attending  cafes 
and  private  functions  in  Fez  and  witnessing  the  wonderful 
horsemanship  of  the  natives  in  their  "powder  play,"  thus  de- 
riving color  and  atmosphere,  and  now  played  it  for  the  first 
time  for  His  Majesty  who  was  so  delighted  with  it,  that 
he  requested  me  to  arrange  it  for  his  private  military  band 
of  fifty  European  musicians,  which  I  did,  at  the  same  time 
acquiring  from  the  Sultan  personally,  the  privilege  of  its 
dedication  to  him. 

"The  Caravan"  was  played  day  after  day  and  at  all  func- 
tions of  the  Sultan,  and  it  seemed  just  to  hit  his  fancy.  It 
was  characteristic  of  the  Orient,  yet  not  Moorish,  for  the 
music  of  the  Moors  consists  chiefly  of  the  weird  sounds  that 
emanate  from  their  drums,  cymbals,  horns,  ghambreens  and 
the  like. 

It  was  on  this  occasion,  my  second  visit  to  the  Sultan,  that 
I  gave  him  his  first  lesson  on  the  piano,  note  by  note.  With 
his  brown  finger  held  in  my  hand  I  made  him  pick  out  the 
notes  of  the  eight  keys  forming  an  octave,  and  such  inteiest 


142      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

did  he  take  in  his  new  avocation  that  the  following  after- 
noon I  was  summoned  by  six  of  his  guards  on  horseback  to 
come  immediately  to  the  palace  with  a  plan  of  the  first  les- 
son that  I  had  given  the  Sultan  the  previous  morning;  so  I 
hurriedly  sketched  on  a  sheet  of  paper  (in  actual  size)  a 
fac-simile  of  the  full  octave,  placing  the  fingers  on  the  keys 
in  their  proper  position,  and  taking  it  with  me,  accompanied 
the  guards  to  the  palace. 

The  Sultan  was  busily  engaged  practising  the  scale.  He 
thanked  me  for  the  sketch  and  presented  me  with  a  beautiful 
scimitar  with  his  initials  and  an  Arabic  inscription  engraved 
thereon,  as  a  token  of  his  appreciation.  His  courtesy  and  at- 
tention and  that  of  his  suite  during  my  stay  in  Fez,  will 
never  be  erased  from  my  memory. 

I  recall  also  a  dinner  I  attended  at  the  palace  of  the  Min- 
ister of  War,  El  Menebbi,  in  a  room  of  Oriental  splendor. 
The  guests  were  all  attired  in  the  costumes  of  their  country 
and  I  w&s  in  my  dress  suit.  We  all  sat  with  our  legs  crossed, 
around  a  so-called  table  on  the  floor.  There  was  a  great 
soup  tureen  in  the  center  and  enormous  soup  ladles  before 
each  guest;  so  the  ladles  went  into  the  tureen  and  from  his 
ladle  each  partook  of  the  soup,  after  this,  fully  half  a  dozen 
kinds  of  mutton  and  chicken  were  served,  and  then  followed 
tea,  with  mint  and  sweets,  of  which  the  Arabs  are  very  fond. 
On  account  of  the  peculiar  "varnishy"  taste  of  the  soup  I 
was  almost  compelled  to  retire  after  it  had  been  served,  but 
I  braved  it  until  the  finish  of  the  dinner,  heartily  appreciat- 


VISIT  TO  MOROCCO  143 

ing  the  good  will  manifested  by  the  Minister  of  War  and  his 
distinguished  associates. 

On  my  return  journey  from  Fez  to  Tangier  I  noticed  in 
many  places  the  predominance  of  the  palmetto.  There  were 
figs  of  excellent  quality  in  great  abundance  and  also  citrons, 
lemons,  limes,  mulberries,  walnuts,  chestnuts,  oranges, 
quinces  and  pomegranates.  Besides,  there  were  olive-like 
nuts  that  were  greedily  sought  after  by  camels,  mules,  goats, 
sheep  and  horned  cattle,  but  not  by  horses. 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS 


CHAPTER  XI 
RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS 

Old  New  York — Meeting  with  Verdi — Banquet  to  Madame 
Adelina  Patti — Signor  Cardinali's  Mishap — Jean  de  Reszke 
Gives  Gratuitous  Instruction  to  Talented  American  Girl — 
Madame  Emma  Eames  and  the  Manuscript  Society  of  New 
York — Miss  Alice  Roosevelt  and  the  Wax  Figures — Sarah 
Bernhardt's  Generosity — The  Advent  of  Henri  Marteau — 
Teresa  Carreno's  Return  to  America- — Brahms,  Carreno  and 
D' Albert — Meeting  with  Eduard  Strauss  in  Cologne  and  His 
Subsequent  Appearance  in  New  York — Presentation  of 
Johann  Strauss'  "Vienna  Life"  at  the  Broadway  Theater. 

THE  reader  may  be  interested  in  the  following  inter- 
view with  my  father  in  the  New  York  Times  of 
April  3rd,  1898:  "On  Tuesday,  April  5th,  1898, 
Mr.  Norman  Aronson,  father  of  Rudolph  Aronson,  will  at- 
tain the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-five  years,  and  his  friends  pro- 
pose to  give  the  old  gentleman  a  birthday  party  such  as  he  will 
not  easily  forget.  Mr.  Aronson  was  born  in  1813  in  Germany 
and  after  pursuing  his  studies  on  the  violoncello  with  Pro- 
fessor Studelli,  he  began  a  mercantile  career  in  deference  to 
the  wishes  of  his  parents,  who  did  not  wish  him  to  follow  his 
own  inclination  of  entering  the  musical  field.  He  went  to 

147 


148      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

England  at  the  age  of  twenty  and  remained  there  until  1850, 
when  he  came  to  New  York,  where,  with  the  exception  of 
occasional  visits  to  Europe,  he  has  been  a  resident  ever  since. 
"It  is  interesting  to  listen  to  Mr.  Aronson's  reminiscences 
of  New  York  as  he  found  it  in  1850,  when  trade  had  not 
yet  driven  away  residences  on  Broadway  many  blocks  north 
of  Fourth  Street,  and  when  such  names  could  be  read  on 
doorplates  as  Francis  Moseworthy  of  Colonial  fame,  George 
Lovett,  Dr.  Fitch,  James  Cheeseman,  Christopher  Wolf, 
General  De  Trobriand,  Gideon  Tucker,  and  the  philanthropic 
John  D.  Wolfe.  On  Ninth  Street  he  remembers  calling  upon 
the  famous  surgeon,  Dr.  Carnochan,  who  some  years  later  was 
Health  Officer  of  the  Port,  and  on  Tenth  Street  stood  the 
mansion  of  Peter  Lorillard.  At  that  time,  where  the  Fifth 
Avenue  Hotel  now  stands  there  were  only  the  road  houses 
and  grounds  of  Corporal  Thompson,  whose  rare  milk  punches 
were  themes  of  gossip,  and  from  where  with  the  exception  of 
the  corner  of  Twenty- fourth  Street,  where  there  was  a  black- 
smith's forge,  the  vista  up  Broadway  and  Fifth  Avenue  pre- 
sented vacant  lots.  Mr.  Aronson  was  among  the  first  guests 
at  the  Astor  House.  He  stopped  there  on  his  arrival  in 
New  York,  and  while  sitting  on  one  of  the  benches  in  Bat- 
tery Park  the  other  day,  he  gave  some  interesting  details  as 
to  the  appearance  of  the  lower  part  of  Broadway  as  he  re- 
membered it  in  1850.  He  remembers  well  Bartlett's  Wash- 
ington Hotel,  the  private  residences  of  the  Phoenix,  Whitney 
and  Hecksher  families,  the  fashionable  boarding  house  of 


VERDI 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  149 

Mrs.  Tripp,  which  overlooked  the  Atlantic  Gardens,  the 
granite  mansion  of  Gordon  Burnham,  who  presented  the 
Webster  statue  to  Central  Park,  and  on  the  corner  of  Wall 
Street  some  three-story  brick  houses  just  vacated  as  residences, 
and  where  began  the  dry  goods  district,  with  the  stores  of 
Perkins,  Warren  &  Co. 

"Mr.  Aronson  was  always  a  lover  of  music  and  the  drama, 
and  recalls  the  many  prominent  artists  he  has  heard  during 
his  lifetime.  They  include  Edmund  Kean,  Macready, 
Garrick,  Forrest,  Booth  (the  elder),  Salvini,  Rachel, 
Ristori,  Cushman,  Rubini,  Lablache,  Picollomini,  Henrietta 
Sontag,  Jenny  Lind,  Grisi,  Garcia,  Malibran,  La  Grange, 
Lucca,  Adelina  Patti,  Tietiens,  Mario,  Tamberlik  Wachtel, 
Carl  Formes,  and  the  lyric  dramatic  singer,  Parepa 
Rosa.  Of  the  latter  he  related  the  interesting  story  of  her 
marriage  to  Carl  Rosa,  who  founded  the  English  institution, 
the  Carl  Rosa  Opera  Company,  which  celebrated  its  twenty- 
fifth  anniversary  in  London  last  year.  Of  her  concert  tour 
here  in  1865  Mr.  Aronson  remembered  that  she  sang  four 
times  a  week,  and  was  assisted  by  Jules  Levy,  the  celebrated 
cornet  player,  Fortuna,  the  baritone,  and  Carl  Rosa,  violinist. 
Her  tour  began  at  Irving  Hall,  New  York,  and  success  was 
established  from  the  first." 

My  father  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  Verdi  and  rarely 
missed  an  opportunity  to  attend  a  first  performance  of  "II 
Trovatore,"  "Rigoletto,"  "Traviata,"  "Ernani"  or  "Ballo  in 
Maschera"  at  the  old  Academy  of  Music  in  New  York. 


150      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

During  one  of  my  visits  to  Italy  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  the  great  maestro  at  his  home  in  Genoa.  On  this 
occasion  I  made  bold  to  request  an  autographed  photograph 
for  my  father,  which  to  my  delight,  the  great  Verdi  graciously 
handed  me  and  which  is  herein  reproduced. 

One  of  the  greatest  impresarios  was  Colonel  J.  H.  Maple- 
son,  old-time  director  of  the  opera  at  the  New  York  Academy 
of  Music,  and  his  remarkable  qualities  were  brought  to  my 
recognition  during  the  years  from  1884  to  1886,  when  I  had 
the  privilege  of  meeting  him  frequently.  Many  artists  in 
Colonel  Mapleson's  Company  at  the  Academy  appeared  at  my 
Sunday  evening  concerts  at  the  Casino,  and  in  arranging  the 
concert  programs  this  remarkable  man  would,  without  re- 
ferring to  the  music  or  to  memoranda  of  any  description, 
dictate  the  various  numbers  to  be  sung.  He  had  in  his  mind 
the  title  of  each  number  of  his  stupendous  repertoire,  and 
he  would  make  up  the  programs  offhand,  naming  the  com- 
poser and  the  title  of  the  piece  in  whatever  language  it 
chanced  to  be.  That  he  never  repeated  a  previous  program 
was  a  proof  of  marvelous  memory. 

A  regrettable  incident,  although  one  that  brought  forth 
great  applause,  occurred  at  a  Casino  Sunday  evening  concert 
when  the  young  and  handsome  tenor,  Signer  Cardinali,  who 
has  the  distinction  of  having  been  one  of  the  original  matinee 
idols,  was  among  the  soloists. 

Upon  this  evening  Cardinali  sang  the  "Di  quella  pira" 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  151 

from  "II  Trovatore."  An  excessively  tall  and  very  stiff 
collar  evidently  affected  him,  for  in  attempting  to  take  the 
high  C  he  broke  on  the  note,  gave  way  to  his  temper,  tore 
off  his  collar,  and  throwing  it  to  the  floor,  rushed  off  the 
stage.  He  would  never  again  appear  at  the  Casino. 

Colonel  Mapleson  said  of  Signer  Cardinali  after  his  first 
appearance  at  the  Academy:  "To  Cardinali  belonged  the 
triumph  of  the  night.  At  one  stroke  he  has  dethroned 
Campanini."  Campanini  was  the  Caruso  of  that  day. 

In  December,  1884,  I  was  present  at  the  dinner  given 
Madame  Adelina  Patti,  in  celebration  of  the  twenty-fifth  an- 
niversary of  the  prima  donna's  first  appearance  in  New  York. 
Mr.  Max  Maretzek,  who  was  then  conducting  opera  at  the 
New  York  Academy  of  Music,  was  present  and  told  several 
stories  connected  with  Madame  Patti's  childhood.  The  fol- 
lowing incident,  in  which  Mr.  Maretzek  was  a  participant, 
impressed  itself  on  my  memory. 

"Adelina  as  a  little  girl  was  asked  by  her  mother  to  sing 
for  some  friends  who  were  visiting  at  her  house,"  said  Mr. 
Maretzek.  "Instead  of  responding  quickly  with  a  song,  she 
thought  for  a  moment  and  then  asked:  'What  will  you  give 
me  if  I  do?'  She  was  asked  by  one  of  the  company  what  she 
demanded  for  a  song  and,  though  she  had  not  yet  reached  the 
age  to  realize  that  a  warble  from  her  throat  was  worth  a  thou- 
sand dollars,  she  demanded  what,  no  doubt,  was  quite  as 
valuable  to  her  then,  a  hatful  of  bonbons.  We  had  some 


152       THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

difficulty  in  getting  these,  but  until  we  did  get  them,  we  had 


no  song!" 


While  a  resident  of  New  York,  the  distinguished  composer, 
Mr.  Max  Vogrich,  submitted  to  me  his  grand  opera  "Der 
Buddha"  and  so  impressed  was  I  with  the  magnificence  of  the 
work,  that  during  my  sojourn  in  Paris  in  1900  I  called  upon 
Jean  de  Reszke  at  his  artistic  abode  in  the  Rue  de  la  Faissan- 
derie,  and  informed  him  how  much  "Der  Buddha"  had 
charmed  me  and  that  the  title  role  was  admirably  fitted  to 
him.  Mr.  de  Reszke  said:  "Cannot  you  arrange  that  I  hear 
it?"  I  replied  that  Mr.  Vogrich  was  in  Rome  and  that  I 
would  wire  him  to  come  to  Paris.  An  appointment  was  duly 
fixed.  Mr.  Vogrich,  who  was  a  most  admirable  pianist, 
played  over  his  work,  and  so  pleased  was  Mr.  de  Reszke  that 
he  said  he  would  suggest  its  acceptance  for  the  Grand  Opera 
in  Paris.  Madame  de  Reszke,  herself  an  excellent  artist, 
was  present  on  this  occasion,  listened  attentively  and  after 
Mr.  Vogrich  had  concluded  said  to  him:  "Your  great  work 
is  worthy  of  a  Schumann,  higher  praise  I  cannot  bestow." 

I  cannot  permit  the  following  episode  to  pass,  showing 
as  it  does  the  big  heartedness  of  de  Reszke:  Just  previous 
to  one  of  my  periodical  departures  for  Europe  in  May,  1906, 
one  Sunday  morning  Mr.  Meyer  Cohen,  manager  of  a 
prominent  music  publishing  house  in  New  York,  with  his 
wife  and  daughter  Vivienne  called  upon  me,  at  my  home. 
Mr.  Cohen  whom  I  had  known  for  many  years,  requested  me 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  153 

to  hear  Miss  Vivienne's  voice,  wholly  untrained,  stating  that 
she  had  recently  heard  Madame  Melba's  phonographic  inter- 
pretation of  Gounod's  "Ave  Maria"  and  that  she  would  sing 
it  in  her  own  way.  I  played  her  accompaniment  and  at  once 
expressed  my  astonishment  and  gratification.  She  was  the 
possessor  of  a  well  rounded,  naturally  sweet  and  warm  con- 
tralto quality  of  voice,  in  other  words  "a  rough  diamond  re- 
quiring polishing."  I  said  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cohen,  that  I 
felt  so  confident  in  the  future  of  Miss  Vivienne,  then  sixteen 
years  of  age,  that  I  would  suggest  the  matter  to  my  friend 
Mr.  de  Reszke  on  my  arrival  in  Paris  at  an  early  date. 

Arriving  in  Paris,  I  immediately  fixed  an  appointment 
with  Mr.  de  Reszke,  and  there  and  then  submitted  the  pho- 
tograph of  "my  discovery"  extolling  her  voice  and  per- 
sonality in  the  highest  degree,  and  emphasized  the  fact  that 
she  had  no  money!  Mr.  de  Reszke  replied  thus:  "If  the 
young  lady  possesses  the  qualities  you  say  she  does,  have  her 
come  to  Paris  and  I  will  cheerfully  take  her  in  hand,  free  of 
charge,  and  from  her  first  lucrative  engagements,  she  can  re- 
fund me  for  my  tuition." 

I  lost  no  time  in  cabling  the  good  news  to  New  York. 
Miss  Vivienne,  accompanied  by  her  mother,  sailed  over  by 
the  first  steamer.  I  installed  them  in  a  little  apartment,  not 
far  from  the  Rue  de  la  Faissanderie.  When  Mr.  de  Reszke 
heard  Miss  Vivienne,  he  said :  "Aronson,  your  criticism  of  her 
was  in  no  way  exaggerated,  she  can  begin  her  studies  to-mor- 
row." And  begin  she  did,  but  unfortunately  her  mother  be- 


154       THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

came  very  ill  after  a  short  period,  and  she  was  compelled  to 
return  to  New  York  and  thus  I  am  sure,  the  world  is  loser  of 
a  really  remarkable  voice. 

On  one  occasion,  at  a  reception  tendered  to  Madame  Emma 
Eames  (then  in  the  zenith  of  her  success  at  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  House)  by  the  Manuscript  Society  of  New  York,  the 
distinguished  prima  donna  said  to  me:  "How  much  I  admire 
your  spotlet,  Mr.  Aronson!"  For  the  moment  I  felt 
abashed,  presuming  that  Madame  Eames  was  referring  to  the 
diminutive  bald-spot  at  the  top  of  my  head.  After  a  mo- 
ment's reflection,  however,  I  recalled  that  the  previous  even- 
ing she  attended  at  my  invitation  a  performance  at  the 
Casino,  and  the  spotlet  she  referred  to  was  the  Casino ! 

In  St.  Louis  at  the  World's  Fair  (1904)  the  Palais  des 
Costumes,  of  which  I  had  charge,  was  a  sort  of  a  cross  be- 
tween Madame  Tussaud's  Wax  Works  in  London  and  the 
Eden  Musee  in  New  York.  So  perfectly,  and  I  might  say, 
artistically  were  the  various  subjects  portrayed,  that  on  one 
occasion,  a  French  workman  in  his  blue  blouse,  wide  panta- 
loons and  slouch  hat,  was  arranging  some  figures,  when  Miss 
Alice  Roosevelt  and  companion  strolled  in.  I  noticed  them 
and  said  to  the  workman  quietly  in  French,  to  take  a  quick 
pose  himself,  as  some  visitors  were  about  arriving.  Miss 
Roosevelt  insisted  that  that  man  was  alive,  but  her  com- 
panon  ridiculed  the  idea,  with  the  remark:  "Why,  these  are 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  155 

all  wax  figures !"  They  passed  along,  and  almost  a  moment 
after  the  French  workman  walked  out,  to  the  evident  delight 
of  Miss  Roosevelt,  who  had  suddenly  turned  around  and 
noticed  the  proceedings. 

While  the  new  Chickering  Hall  on  Huntington  Avenue, 
Boston,  was  in  course  of  construction  in  the  early  nineties  I 
suggested  to  Messrs.  Chickering  and  Sons  the  engagement  of 
the  famous  Joseph  Joachim  and  his  equally  famous  string 
quartette  to  inaugurate  their  new  concert  hall.  Messrs. 
Chickering  were  delighted  with  my  suggestion  and  authorized 
me  to  cable  the  great  violin  virtuoso  in  Berlin,  he  to  name 
his  own  terms.  Joachim  replied:  "Appreciate  the  very  flat- 
tering offer,  but  no  inducement  would  permit  my  crossing 
the  Atlantic."  Thus  American  music  lovers  were  again  the 
losers. 

Some  years  ago,  after  a  concert  in  the  Metropolitan  Opera 
House,  I  met  Mr.  H.  E.  Krehbiel,  the  dean  of  New  York 
musical  critics,  when  we  discussed  the  introductions  of  very 
popular  themes  of  famous  composers  in  refrains  of  certain 
marches,  at  that  time  very  much  in  vogue;  excerpts  from  the 
"Carmen"  Toreador  Song,  the  Mendelssohn  Spring  Song, 
Wagner's  "Lohengrin,"  and  also  the  extraordinarily  popular 
Boulanger  March,  etc.,  were  freely  used,  although  in  these 
cases  perhaps  unintentionally.  What  a  contrast,  however, 
with  certain  present-day  "would-be"  composers,  who  don't 


156      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

know  the  difference  between  a  minor  chord  and  a  cord  of 
wood,  and  who  bodily  appropriate  Schumann's  Reverie, 
Mendelssohn's  Wedding  March  and  Spring  Song,  Chopin's 
Funeral  March  and  other  classics  and  interweave  them  with 
"ragtime"  accompaniments'?  What  a  blessing  it  would  be 
to  have  a  musical  censor  in  this  country,  authorized  to  pre- 
vent such  outrageous  tactics! 

On  one  of  my  trips  across  the  Atlantic  in  the  early  nineties 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  having  as  fellow  passengers  Madame 
Sarah  Bernhardt,  the  artists  of  her  company,  two  singers  of 

repute  and  a  wealthy  Baron  de  .  At  the  request  of 

the  purser  of  the  ship,  I  undertook  the  direction  of  an  enter- 
tainment on  board,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Sailors'  Fund. 

Madame  Bernhardt  was  not  feeling  well  and  regretted 
not  to  be  able  to  appear,  but  consented  to  have  all  the  mem- 
bers of  her  splendid  company  take  part,  as  did  also  the  two 
singers. 

I  was  informed  that  the  Baron  de  had  written 

some  very  excellent  poems  and  that  he  might  be  induced  to 
recite  one  or  two  of  them.  I  thereupon  interviewed  him  and 
he  very  courteously  acquiesced  for  so  laudable  a  cause. 

With  such  a  combination  it  was  not  difficult  to  arrange  an 
unusually  delightful  ship's  entertainment.  I  placed  Baron 

de  in  the  "star"  position,  at  the  end  of  the  first  part. 

He  recited  his  poem  in  French.  It  was  rather  long,  and  un- 
derstood by  but  few  of  the  passengers,  who  applauded 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  157 

vociferously,  so  he  immediately  followed  with  another,  and 
then  still  with  another.  He  kept  at  it  until  the  passengers 
were  beginning  to  show  signs  of  fatigue,  with  the  second  part 
of  the  entertainment  yet  to  come.  I  politely  called  the 
Baron's  attention  to  the  lateness  of  the  hour  and  the  fact 
that  there  were  others  on  the  program,  so  he  good-nat- 
turedly  subsided.  As  was  customary  I  had  three  pretty  girls 
"pass  around  the  plates"  and  when  one  of  them  approached 
the  Baron  for  a  contribution,  he  declined  emphatically,  ad- 
ding: "Have  I  not  contributed  sufficiently  in  the  recital  of 
my  poems!"  With  Madame  Bernhardt,  it  was  quite  differ- 
ent, however.  The  three  girls  had  obtained  sixteen  hundred 
francs.  I  informed  the  Divine  Sarah  of  that  fact  and  she 
inquired  of  me:  "How  much  of  that  amount  did  the  Baron 
contribute1?"  I  replied:  "Not  a  sou."  She  then  took  from  her 
purse  four  one  hundred  franc  notes,  and  handed  them  to 
me,  saying:  "So  that  will  make  two  thousand  francs  for  the 
poor  sailors." 

On  Saturday  evening,  May  27th,  1893,  the  New  York 
Casino  was  prettily  decorated  with  a  lavish  display  of  the 
flags  of  this  country  and  Spain,  which  were  caught  up  over 
the  boxes  and  draped  along  the  balconies  and  along  the  stair- 
ways. Souvenir  announcements  printed  on  yellow  silk  were 
given  to  the  ladies  in  the  audience,  and  all  in  honor  of  the 
Infanta  Eulalie,  who,  however,  on  account  of  illness  occa- 
sioned by  over-exertion  at  the  gala  ball  given  for  her  Royal 


158      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Highness  the  previous  evening  at  the  Madison  Square  Con- 
cert Hall,  was  unable  to  attend. 

The  house  was  packed  from  pit  to  dome  and  the  coming 
of  the  party  was  heralded  at  half-past  nine  o'clock.  Then 
the  orchestra,  which  had  been  playing  the  familiar  music  of 
"Adonis,"  broke  into  the  royal  march  of  Spain  and  everybody 
rose  in  compliment  to  the  guests.  There  was  a  great  cran- 
ing of  necks  and  looks  of  wonderment  at  the  absence  of  the 
Princess.  The  applause  that  greeted  the  entrance  of  her  hus- 
band Prince  Antonio  and  his  escorts  into  the  boxes  reserved 
for  them,  dragged  somewhat,  because  all  waited  to  see  if  the 
Infanta  wasn't  somewhere  behind  them.  This  point  finally 
decided,  the  audience  settled  itself  once  more  and  the  per- 
formance proceeded. 

In  the  two  boxes  on  the  right  of  the  stage  with  the  Prince, 
the  Duke  de  Tarames  and  Secretary  Jovar,  were  General 
Horace  Porter,  General  Varnum,  A.  P.  Montant,  Francis 
Lynde  Stetson  and  Comptroller  Theodore  Myers.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  house  in  the  first  stage  box  were  Mayor 
Thomas  F.  Gilroy,  City  Chamberlain  O'Donohue  and  Mrs. 
O'Donohue.  In  the  second  box  were  seated  ex-Governor 
Wetmore  and  his  wife  and  Commander  E.  Nicholson  Kane. 
In  the  audience  there  were  such  notables  as  Colonel  and  Mrs. 
William  Jay,  Judge  and  Mrs.  Abram  R.  Lawrence,  Ward 
McAllister  and  his  daughter.  I  had  the  honor  of  presenting 
to  Prince  Antonio  a  handsome  silver  statuette  of  Henry  E. 
Dixey  as  Adonis  that  had  been  intended  for  the  Infanta.  At 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  159 

the  close  of  the  performance  the  party  went  to  the  roof  gar- 
den, where  they  occupied  the  boxes  and  witnessed  the  dancing 
and  enjoyed  the  singing  of  Mme.  Naya. 

Besides  bringing  to  the  notice  of  the  American  public  at 
my  Sunday  popular  concerts  at  the  Casino  in  New  York  such 
artists  as  Leopold  Godowsky,  Michael  Banner,  and  Alexan- 
der Lambert,  I  also  undertook  the  management  first  of 
Henri  Marteau,  the  young  French  violinist. 

In  the  early  nineties  I  attended  the  violin  concours  at  the 
Paris  Conservatoire.  Massenet,  Ambroise  Thomas,  Theo- 
dore Dubois  and  other  eminent  composers  made  up  the  jury, 
and— of  perhaps  twenty  aspirants— young  Henri  Marteau 
succeeded  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  the  jury  in  carrying  off 
the  first  prize.  It  was  then  that  I  engaged  Marteau  for  a 
tour  in  America,  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Massenet,  and 
he  achieved  very  great  success  from  his  first  appearance  in 
New  York  with  the  Philharmonic  Society  then  under  the  con- 
ductorship  of  Anton  Seidl.  Today  Marteau  is  the  recog- 
nized successor  of  Joseph  Joachim  in  Berlin. 

At  the  concours  above  referred  to,  assured  of  his  mastery  of 
and  admiration  for  the  queen  of  instruments,  I  suggested  to 
Massenet  that  he  compose  a  "violin  concerto,"  and  he  replied 
that  it  was  his  ambition  to  do  so.  Unfortunately,  however, 
his  enormous  operatic  and  orchestral  work  prevented  and  the 
music  world  is  the  loser. 

About  this  time  there  was  dissension  and  litigation  with- 
out end  in  the  affairs  of  the  Casino,  so  much  so  that  in  addi- 


160      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

tion  to  David  Leventritt,  the  services  of  such  eminent  counsel 
as  ex-Judge  William  Henry  Arnoux  and  Samuel  Untermyer 
were  retained.  During  those  strenuous  times  I  worked  hard 
on  the  musical  score  of  "The  Rainmaker  of  Syria,"  the 
libretto  of  which  was  by  Sydney  Rosenfeld.  It  was  hur- 
riedly produced  at  the  Casino  under  the  management  of 
Harry  W.  Roseborn  on  September  25th,  1893,  with  Bertha 
Ricci,  Kate  Davis,  Sophie  Holt,  Fannie  Ward,  Nina  Farring- 
ton,  Florence  Bell,  Mark  Smith,  Charles  Hopper,  Harry 
Davenport,  and  J.  A.  Furey  in  the  cast,  and  under  the  con- 
ductorship  of  Gustave  Kerker,  but  with  only  moderate  suc- 
cess. I  thereupon  became  the  manager  of  the  Bijou  Theater 
in  New  York  and  with  Henry  B.  Sire,  its  owner,  arranged 
for  the  renovation  and  redecoration  of  that  house. 

William  Harris  suggested  as  the  opening  attraction,  under 
my  management  of  the  Bijou,  his  star,  May  Irwin,  in  "The 
Widow  Jones,"  but  Mr.  Sire  at  first  declined,  because  he  was 
afraid  that  at  that  time  Miss  Irwin  was  not  recognized  as 
a  Broadway  attraction.  However,  I  went  on  to  Boston  to 
witness  a  rehearsal  of  "The  Widow  Jones"  and  was  so 
charmed  with  Miss  Irwin  and  her  inimitable  interpretation 
of  that  catchy,  dainty  negro  melody,  "I  want  yer  ma  honey," 
that  I  immediately  closed  a  contract  with  Mr.  Harris.  Miss 
Irwin  appeared  and  for  hundreds  of  performances  delighted 
multitudes  and  at  once  established  herself  as  a  Broadway 
favorite. 

One  of  the  most  original  "presentations"  to  which  I  was  a 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  161 

party  was  perpetrated  at  the  last  performance  of  "The  Widow 
Jones"  at  the  Bijou  Theater,  New  York.  After  Miss  May 
Irwin  had  rendered  in  her  inimitable  manner  the  "New 
Bully"  song,  two  ushers  rushed  down  the  aisle,  bearing  be- 
tween them  what  appeared  to  be  a  barrel  formed  of  flowers. 

It  was  hoisted  on  the  stage  with  some  difficulty  and  the 
audience  applauded  and  Miss  Irwin  bowed,  beamed,  and 
smiled. 

That  was  not  all,  however,  for  as  soon  as  the  barrel  was  set 
down,  right  out  of  it  there  hopped  two  pickaninnies  as  black 
as  the  proverbial  ace  of  spades.  The  audience  laughed  and 
applauded,  and  Miss  Irwin  was  obliged  to  make  a  farewell 
speech. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  I  engaged  the  "lioness  of 
the  piano,"  the  distinguished  Teresa  Carreno,  who  after  years 
and  years  of  arduous  unremunerative  work  in  the  United 
States  went  to  Europe  and  in  a  comparatively  short  period 
attained  the  foremost  position,  so  that  my  contract  with  her 
was  for  six  hundred  dollars  for  each  concert,  which  was  away 
out  of  proportion  to  the  figure  she  had  received  previous  to  her 
seven  years'  sojourn  abroad.  Madame  Carreno  scored  im- 
mensely on  her  return  visit  to  the  United  States  and  Canada, 
and  was  proclaimed  not  only  the  "lioness"  but  the  "queen  of 
the  piano,"  which  was  her  rightly  deserved  title. 

While  I  was  in  Berlin  in  the  late  nineties,  negotiating  for 
the  engagement  of  Madame  Teresa  Carreno  for  America,  I 
was  told  of  a  story,  which  was  going  the  rounds  regarding  that 


162      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

distinguished  pianiste  and  her  husband,  Eugene  D' Albert,  the 
well  known  composer-pianist.  It  seems  that  the  relations 
of  that  couple  had  been  strained  for  some  time,  and  one  day 
without  any  motive  whatever  D' Albert  left  his  home  and 
shortly  after  announced  his  appearance  at  a  concert  in  Berlin. 
So  incensed  were  the  Berliners  at  his  attitude  that  all  sorts 
of  vengeance  were  threatened.  D' Albert,  hearing  of  this, 
cautiously  (it  was  said)  invited  his  friend  Johannes  Brahms 
to  conduct  his  piano  concerto,  which  was  one  of  the  numbers 
on  the  program.  The  evening  of  the  concert  arrived  and 
so  did  Brahms,  who  was  as  beloved  in  Berlin  as  he  was  in 
Vienna.  With  baton  in  hand  he  accompanied  D' Albert. 
The  audience  applauded  vociferously,  and  the  impending  dis- 
turbance was  averted. 

In  the  spring  of  1900,  en  route  to  Berlin  I  stopped  over 
at  Cologne,  and  to  my  surprise  discovered  that  Herr  Eduard 
Strauss  and  his  Vienna  orchestra  were  giving  concerts  at  the 
"Flora,"  a  prominent  concert  garden  there.  I  immediately 
put  myself  in  touch  with  Herr  Strauss,  attended  his  concert 
in  the  evening,  enchanted  as  of  old  with  his  irresistible  man- 
ner of  conducting.  At  times  he  played  the  violin  with  his 
orchestra  when  not  wielding  the  baton,  and  swayed  to  and 
fro  to  emphasize  the  rhythm  of  the  music,  marking  time  also 
with  his  right  foot  in  a  manner  decidedly  unique. 

I  lunched  with  Herr  Strauss  the  following  day  and  re- 
called the  promise  he  had  made  me  at  the  banquet  tendered 
his  brother  Johann  in  Vienna  in  1894,  that  if  he  visited 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  163 

America  again  he  would  do  so  under  my  management!  I 
said:  "Heir  Director,  are  you  ready  to  accept  an  engagement 
for  a  tour  in  the  United  States  and  Canada  next  fall !"  He 
replied  in  the  affirmative,  terms  were  discussed  and  an  op- 
tional contract  was  agreed  upon.  I  sailed  for  New  York 
shortly  thereafter,  consulted  Mr.  Henry  Seligman  (son  of 
Mr.  Jesse  Seligman,  one  of  the  founders  in  the  early  eighties 
of  my  first  venture,  The  Metropolitan  Concert  Hall)  who 
courteously  aided  me  in  financing  the  "Strauss"  tour. 

There  was  a  great  flare  of  trumpets  preceding  the  Strauss 
return  to  America.  A  prize  of  one  hundred  dollars  was 
offered  for  the  best  title  for  a  waltz  composed  by  me  and 
dedicated  to  Herr  Strauss.  Some  six  hundred  suggestions 
were  received  and  the  committee  accepted  the  title,  "Strauss 
Greeting,"  as  the  most  appropriate. 

The  first  Strauss  Concert  was  given  in  the  ballroom  of  the 
Waldorf-Astoria  in  New  York  on  October  2oth,  1900,  under 
distinguished  patronage  which  included  the  Austrian  Ambas- 
sador, Baron  von  Hegenmuller,  Mrs.  John  Jacob  Astor, 
Mrs.  Stuyvesant  Fish,  Mrs.  George  B.  DeForest,  Mrs. 
Hermann  Oelrichs,  Mrs.  George  J.  Gould,  Mrs.  Thomas 
Hitchcock  and  Mrs.  Elisha  Dyer,  Jr. 

The  following  was  the  program: 

Overture — Simplicius Johann  Strauss 

Prelude — Cornelius  Schutt Smareglia 

Waltz — Greeting  to  America  (new) Eduard  Strauss 


164      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Ave  Verum Mozart 

Polka — Vienna  Custom Eduard  Strauss 

Hungarian  Rhapsody  No.  i   Liszt 

Waltz — Artist  Life Johann  Strauss 

Ballet  Music — Le  Cid Massenet 

Galop — Happy  the  World  Over Eduard  Strauss 

At  the  second  concert  on  Sunday  evening,  October  2 1st, 
1900,  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  New  York,  there 
were  more  than  five  thousand  persons;  indeed  the  house  was 
packed  to  repletion  and  several  hundred  persons  could  not  get 
in  at  all.  Strauss  and  his  orchestra  achieved  a  veritable 
triumph.  Strauss  concerts  were  given  in  the  principal  cities 
of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  but  the  season  came  to  an 
untimely  conclusion  owing  to  a  railroad  accident  which  un- 
fortunately incapacitated  Herr  Strauss'  right  arm.  But  in 
order  not  to  disappoint  the  large  gathering  at  a  Charity  Ball 
at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  on  February  12th,  1901, 
he  conducted  six  dance  numbers  with  the  baton  in  his  left 
hand  to  the  evident  delight  of  the  terpsichorean  devotees,  who 
after  each  dance  applauded  him  to  the  echo.  This  was  his 
last  appearance  in  America. 

Eduard  Strauss  received  an  academic  education  and  was 
graduated  in  philosophy.  He  at  first  intended  to  go  into 
the  consular  service,  but  the  hereditary  tastes  of  his  family 
asserted  themselves  and  he  turned  to  music,  making  his  debut 
as  leader  of  the  Strauss  orchestra  in  1862.  At  the  close  of 


Sb 


3=t 


T-t 


±=£ 


t 


JJUfi 

,    m 

—  V 

fO  k  | 

rl 

:(i 

V) 

•R 

• 

l'    «- 

^ 

[ 

i- 

=  * 

1  —  I  — 

^J 

—  •  —  I  — 

1              | 

it 

r-r 


1 


T 


FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  MANUSCRIPT  OF  EDUARD  STRAUSS' 
"GREETING  TO  AMERICA" 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  165 

the  seventies  he  began  his  concert  tours.  They  soon  became 
popular  all  over  Europe,  and  in  1890  he  first  came  to  Amer- 
ica, achieving  an  immense  success  and  being  welcomed  in 
sixty-one  cities  of  the  United  States.  He  has  visited  over 
eight  hundred  cities  in  the  two  hemispheres.  He  is  com- 
mander, officer  or  knight  of  twelve  orders,  and  has  received 
valuable  presents  from  thirty-two  different  rulers.  His 
musical  publications  include  three  hundred  compositions  of 
his  own  and  two  hundred  arrangements  of  operas,  concert- 
pieces  and  songs. 

During  the  last  weeks  of  the  Eduard  Strauss  invasion  I 
was  busily  engaged  in  directing  the  production  of  Johann 
Strauss'  posthumous  operetta,  "Vienna  Life"  (Wiener  Blut), 
at  the  Broadway  Theater,  New  York,  where  it  was  presented 
for  the  first  time  on  January  23rd,  1901,  with  Thomas 
Persse,  Charles  H.  Drew,  Raymond  Hitchcock,  William 
Blaisdell,  Amelia  Stone,  Ethel  Jackson,  Rosemary  Glosz,  and 
Maude  Thomas  in  the  cast.  It  was  sumptuously  mounted, 
and  the  scenery  and  costumes  were  beautiful  and  artistic,  but 
the  public  at  that  time  had  been  surfeited  with  light  musical 
comedy  performances  and  kept  steadily  away  from  higher 
class  operetta  productions,  so  that  the  Strauss  work  was  with- 
drawn after  four  or  five  weeks. 

In  the  fall  of  1900  I  received  a  letter  from  Norbert  Dunkl, 
a  prominent  concert  manager  and  head  of  the  old  music  pub- 
lishing firm  of  Rozsavolgyi  and  Company,  Budapest — whom 


166      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

I  had  previously  met  during  my  European  wanderings. 
Herr  Dunkl  informed  me  that  he  had  engaged  for  a  term 
of  years  a  young  and  very  promising  violinist,  Jan  Kubelik, 
and  urged  me  to  hear  him  at  the  earliest  opportunity.  In 
the  spring  of  1901,  I  again  sailed  for!  Europe,  met  Herr 
Dunkl  on  the  Riviera,  where  he  was  then  directing  a  short 
tour  of  this  young  virtuoso.  I  heard  Kubelik  at  Nice  and  at 
Monte  Carlo  and  later  in  London,  and  was  much  impressed 
with  his  marvelous  technique  and  personality,  and  recognized 
in  him  a  great  card  for  America. 

It  did  not  take  me  long  to  conclude  an  optional  agreement 
for  the  season  1901  and  1902  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  under  which  agreement  I  was  required  to  deposit  ten 
thousand  dollars  on  account. 

It  so  happened,  that  a  prominent  New  York  theatrical 
manager  was  in  London  and  to  him  I  suggested  Kubelik  and 
a  partnership  arrangement,  he  (the  theatrical  manager)  to 
furnish  the  money,  and  I  to  direct  the  tour.  We  were  to 
share  in  the  profits  equally. 

After  the  New  York  manager  had  heard  Kubelik  at  two 
concerts  at  St.  James  Hall  in  London,  he  accepted  my  pro- 
posal and  the  money  was  deposited,  whereupon  a  London 
concert  manager,  a  Mr.  Hugo  Gorlitz,  informed  Kubelik  that 
inasmuch  as  he  was  a  minor  when  his  contract  with  Dunkl 
had  been  entered  into,  and  still  was  a  minor,  he  was  at  per- 
fect liberty  to  dispense  with  his  manager  Dunkl  and  make  a 
new  and  more  lucrative  arrangement  with  him  (Gorlitz). 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  167 

Kubelik  acquiesced  in  this,  to  say  the  least,  ungrateful  ar- 
rangement, and  the  money  deposited  by  the  New  York  man- 
ager was  returned  to  him.  He  thereupon  entered  into  an 
agreement  with  Gorlitz.  Kubelik  came  to  America  and,  as 
I  predicted,  made  a  phenomenal  success. 

Following  the  Kubelik  episode  I  returned  to  New  York. 
After  a  short  period,  I  received  a  cablegram  from  Herr 
Dunkl  informing  me  that  he  had  discovered  another  young 
artist,  a  Miss  Steffi  Geyer,  a  violinist  of  the  very  first  rank 
and  a  pupil  of  Kubelik' s  teacher,  Professor  Sevcik.  I  sailed 
for  Europe,  only  to  learn  on  my  arrival  in  Budapest,  that  the 
young  lady  had  on  account  of  too  strenuous  practice  sprained 
one  of  the  fingers  of  her  left  hand,  and  the  accident  was  so 
serious  that  her  doctor  prevented  her  from  playing  in  public 
for  some  time.  Thereupon  my  attention  was  directed  to- 
ward another  young  Bohemian  violinist,  Jaroslav  Kocian, 
who  also  had  studied  with  Kubelik  under  Professor  Sevcik 
in  Prague.  He  was  creating  quite  a  furore,  both  socially  and 
professionally.  He  had  played  at  soirees  at  the  Waldorf- 
Asters'  and  other  fashionable  houses  in  London,  and  when  I 
heard  him  at  one  of  the  Richter  concerts  at  St.  James  Hall, 
I  was  so  impressed  with  him,  that  I  engaged  him  for  a  series 
of  concerts  in  America  for  the  season  1902-1903. 

On  the  steamer  crossing  the  Atlantic,  Kocian,  who  was  a 
very  handsome  young  fellow,  attracted  the  attention  of  a 
prominent  London  society  woman,  at  whose  home  he  had 
played.  Inasmuch  as  his  success  in  the  English  metropolis 


168      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

had  been  widely  chronicled  in  the  newspapers,  the  New  York 
reporters  were  bent  upon  interviewing  Kocian  on  arrival  of 
the  steamer.  In  looking  over  the  passenger  list,  they  at  once 
recognized  the  name  of  the  society  lady  before  alluded  to 
and  were  informed  of  her  tete-a-tetes  and  promenades  on  deck 
with  the  violinist. 

Kocian  expressed  himself  as  delighted  with  his  trip  over 
and  his  anxiety  to  play  before  an  American  audience,  then 
exhibited  his  three  valuable  violins,  one  of  which  with  a 
carved  handle  attracted  most  attention.  One  reporter  in- 
quired of  Kocian:  "How  about  the  lady  and  your  elope- 
ment?" The  violinist  looked  dumbfounded  and  simply 
laughed  at  the  query. 

A  sensational  story  of  an  elopement  was  started  and  the 
papers  throughout  the  United  States  printed  columns  upon 
columns  with  illustrations.  One  New  York  paper  went  so 
far  as  to  print  a  photograph  of  the  violin  handle  of  one  of 
Kocian's  violins  purporting  it  to  be  the  carved  portrait  of  the 
society  lady. 

This  wonderful  reclame  helped  materially  in  packing 
Carnegie  Hall  at  Kocian's  initial  concert  with  Walter  Dam- 
rosch's  orchestra  from  the  orchestra  floor  to  the  uppermost 
gallery  and  establishing  his  artistic  career  in  this  country. 

The  fact  of  Kocian's  following  rather  than  preceding 
Kubelik  on  a  long  tour  was  detrimental  from  a  financial  point 
of  view,  but  his  artistic  success  nevertheless  was  unmistak- 
able. 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  169 

General  William  T.  Sherman  died  February  14th,  1891, 
from  erysipelas  resulting  from  a  cold  contracted  while  wit- 
nessing a  performance  of  "Poor  Jonathan"  at  the  New  York 
Casino  on  February  yth.  It  was  on  the  occasion  of 
the  "Special  Military  Night"  at  which  there  were 
also  present  General  Daniel  E.  Sickles  and  the  colonels  of  all 
the  New  York  regiments.  On  March  lyth,  1891,  a  benefit 
performance  was  given  at  the  Casino  for  the  General  Sher- 
man monument  fund  of  New  York. 

Miss  Lillian  Russell,  Carmencita,  Nat  Goodwin,  James  T. 
Powers,  the  Columbia  College  Dramatic  Club,  the  Imperial 
Japanese  Troupe,  and  Erdelyi  Naczi's  Hungarian  Band  par- 
ticipated, and  for  the  closing  number  of  the  entertainment, 
the  entire  "Poor  Jonathan"  chorus  in  their  West  Point  cadet 
uniforms  went  through  their  military  evolutions  to  the  music 
of  "Marching  Through  Georgia." 

One  evening  in  Boston  in  the  eighties  while  my  company 
was  playing  a  very  successful  engagement  of  "Erminie"  at 
the  Globe  Theater,  I  noticed  Mr.  John  Stetson,  the  manager 
of  that  house,  standing  in  the  wings  on  the  stage,  earnestly 
watching  the  musicians  of  the  orchestra  (which  under  my 
agreement  he  was  obliged  to  furnish  at  his  own  expense). 
It  so  happened  that  just  at  that  time  the  two  horn  players 
had  thirty-two  bars  rest.  Stetson  waited  until  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  act,  then  called  the  conductor  and  said  to  him :  "I 
noticed  that  your  horn  players  were  not  playing!"  The  con- 


170      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

ductor  replied:  "But  Mr.  Stetson,  they  had  nothing  to  play, 
they  had  a  rest."  Stetson  answered  excitedly:  "Well,  do 
they  expect  me  to  pay  them  salaries  for  resting !  Not  for  me, 
no  play,  no  pay!" 

This  reminds  me  also  that  on  one  occasion  in  Boston,  when 
I  was  in  negotiation  with  Stetson  for  a  return  engagement  of 
one  of  my  companies,  I  wanted  five  per  cent,  more  than  the 
gross  takings  than  Stetson  would  pay,  and  while  negotiations 
were  pending,  he  invited  me  for  a  sail  on  his  yacht,  The 
Sapphire,  when  suddenly  a  veritable  hurricane  set  in.  Be- 
coming frightfully  seasick,  I  said  to  him:  "Get  me  off  of  this 
confounded  boat  if  you  want  my  company  upon  your  own 
terms  next  season!" 

I  attended  performances  of  "Parsifal"  and  "Tristan  and 
Isolde"  at  Bayreuth  in  July,  1891 ;  and  it  is  possible  that  my 
comments  in  relation  to  them,  cabled  to  the  New  York 
Herald  on  July  2yth,  1891,  may  be  of  interest  now: 

"No  wonder  Madame  Cosima  Wagner  protests  against 
performances  of  'Parsifal*  other  than  those  given  at  Bay- 
reuth, for  the  reason  that  they  would  be  almost  impossible 
owing  to  the  musical  and  scenic  difficulties  which  are  over- 
come by  the  superb  orchestra  ensemble  and  the  enormous 
stage  of  the  Bayreuth  Theater. 

"  'Parsifal'  to  my  mind  is  the  greatest  of  all  Wagner's 
works.  I  was  never  in  my  life  more  impressed  than  with  the 
third  act.  It  was  like  a  dream.  Parsifal's  solo,  the  Good 


RANDOM  RECOLLECTIONS  171 

TYiday  spell,  and  the  flower  girls'  chorus  are  masterpieces. 
Such  playing  as  that  of  the  orchestra  under  the  direction  of 
Herr  Levy  I  never  heard  surpassed;  but,  as  Alvary  informed 
me  before  the  first  performances  of  'Parsifal,'  six  weeks' 
rehearsal  may  account  for  that  absolute  perfection.  Three 
thousand  people  sat  in  darkness  without  a  murmur  and 
listened  attentively  to  the  masterwork  of  that  Shakespeare 
of  composers. 

"Monday's  performance  of  'Tristan  and  Isolde'  was  re- 
ceived enthusiastically  by  an  international  audience  crowd- 
ing the  theater  to  overflowing.  Frau  Rosa  Sucher  and 
Alvary  were  superb  in  the  title  roles.  Herr  Felix  Mottl 
conducted  in  a  perfect  manner.  Among  the  distinguished 
visitors  were  Prince  William  of  Hesse,  Prince  Ludwig  Victor 
of  Bavaria  and  the  Princess  of  Anhalt." 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS 


CHAPTER  XII 
MORE  RECOLLECTIONS 

Interviews  with  Pieter  Tschaikowsky — The  First  Performance 
of  Puccini's  "Tosca"  at  La  Scala,  Milan — Meeting  with 
Leoncavallo  in  Italy,  and  His  Tour  in  America — Kocian  at 
William  C.  Whitney's  musicale — Mascagni  and  His  Pupil — 
A  State  Concert  at  Buckingham  Palace — Of  Isadora 
Duncan,  Maud  Allan,  Ruth  St.  Denis,  and  Thamara  de 
Swirsky — The  Difficulties  of  a  Manager. 

PIETER  TSCHAIKOWSKY,  that  prince  of  compos- 
ers of  the  romantic  school,  with  whom  I  had  the  ex- 
treme pleasure  of  crossing  the  ocean  in  1891,  after  he 
had  so  successfully  conducted  a  number  of  his  compositions  at 
the  inaugural  week's  festival  at  Carnegie  Hall,  New  York,  and 
in  some  of  the  principal  cities  of  the  United  States,  was  of  an 
exceedingly  retiring  disposition.  However,  I  had  occasion  to 
converse  with  him.  He  seemed  to  have  had  a  great  fondness 
for  Americans,  remarking:  "They  are  so  warm,  so  sympathetic, 
so  like  the  Russian  public,  so  quick  to  catch  a  point  and  so 
eager  to  show  their  appreciation  of  the  good  things  offered 
them."  He  also  complimented  very  highly  our  orchestral 
performers,  saying:  "They  are  thoroughly  capable  and  con- 
scientious musicians  and  would  quite  put  to  blush  some  of  our 

175 


176      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

players  across  the  water  in  the  matter  of  sight  reading." 
Presently  he  excused  himself  and  hurried  to  his  little  cabin 
on  the  upper  deck,  absorbed  in  an  orchestral  score  on  which 
he  was  working. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  where  two  noted  instrumental- 
ists appear  at  the  same  concert,  their  success  is  not  so  pro- 
nounced as  when  appearing  at  concerts  individually.  I  re- 
call as  a  boy  the  joint  debut  in  New  York  in  the  early  seven- 
ties of  those  giants  of  the  piano  and  violin,  Anton  Rubin- 
stein and  Henri  Wieniawski.  Neither  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
audience  nor  the  receipts  were  over  great,  but  when 
Wieniawski  appeared  as  the  sole  soloist  on  a  Sunday  night 
at  the  old  Wallack's  Theater  (then  on  the  corner  of  Broad- 
way and  13th  Street),  I  found  the  house  packed  from  pit  to 
dome  by  admirers  of  the  great  virtuoso,  and  he  w*as  given  a 
veritable  ovation.  It  was  precisely  the  same  when  Rubin- 
stein appeared  alone. 

When,  in  the  late  eighties,  the  famous  composer-pianist, 
Eugene  D' Albert  and  the  equally  distinguished  violinist, 
Pablo  de  Sarasate,  appeared  conjointly  under  the  direction  of 
Abbey  and  Grau  in  the  principal  cities  of  the  United  States, 
their  success  was  not  in  any  way  commensurate  with  their 
recognized  talents;  indeed  at  three  matinee  auditions  at  the 
New  York  Casino,  which  was  then  under  my  management, 
they  appeared  to  extraordinarily  enthusiastic  but  meager 
audiences.  Had  they  appeared  separately,  I  question 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  177 

whether  there  would  have  been  such  a  tale  to  unfold,  at  least 
so  far  as  the  receipts  were  concerned. 

It  was  reported  just  after  my  production  of  Chassaigne's 
"The  Brazilian"  at  the  Casino  that  the  genial  musical  direc- 
tor and  composer,  Gustave  Kerker,  had  made  ducks  and  drakes 
of  Chassaigne's  score,  which  was  absolutely  false.  Chas- 
saigne,  composer  of  the  former  Casino  successes,  "Falka"  and 
"Nadjy,"  stood  too  high  as  a  musician  to  be  treated  in  such 
a  manner.  It  was  also  asserted  that  in  order  to  push  the 
prima  donna  in  "The  Brazilian"  to  the  front,  because  of  some 
stories  about  her  elopement  that  enhanced  her  value  as  a 
drawing  theatrical  attraction,  Mr.  Kerker  had  enlarged  the 
part  assigned  to  her  and  cut  to  pieces  the  part  assigned  to 
another  leading  artist  in  the  company. 

Now,  the  truth  was  simply  that  the  other  leading  artist 
resigned  from  my  company  because  she  was  told  that  I  had 
decided  to  dispense  with  her  services  as  unsatisfactory. 
Tales  are  always  attached  to  clever  women.  You  never  hear 
them  about  mediocre  people.  The  reason  you  read  so  many 
romances  in  the  lives  of  light  opera  stars,  is  that  people  en- 
joy them.  The  moment  a  woman  begins  to  show  talent  on 
the  stage,  a  story  is  started  about  her. 

Relative  to  the  above  episode,  Monsieur  Chassaigne  him- 
self wrote  thanking  me  for  the  sumptuous  staging  of  his 
"Brazilian"  and  requesting  me  to  convey  to  Mr.  Kerker  his 
thanks  for  the  scrupulous  care  he  had  bestowed  upon  his 


178      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

score.  He  said  further  that  he  was  sensible  of  the  reception 
his  "Falka"  and  "Nadjy"  had  always  met  with  in  America, 
and  that  that  mark  of  sympathy  so  strongly  attracted  him  to 
me  he  hoped  soon  to  attend  the  rehearsals  and  be  present 
at  the  production  of  his  next  work. 

The  work  referred  to  by  Monsieur  Chassaigne  was  a  new 
opera  he  had  in  contemplation  for  the  Casino,  dealing  with 
the  life  of  Louis  XIV  at  Versailles,  but  to  my  sincere  regret 
this  talented  composer  died  before  its  completion. 

In  my  production  of  "La  Fille  de  Madame  Angot"  at  the 
Casino,  the  two  leading  parts,  Mile.  Lange  and  Clairette^ 
were  taken  respectively  by  Camille  D'Arville  and  Marie  Hal- 
ton,  who  are  made  rivals  in  the  opera,  but  were  rivals  in  real 
life  also. 

In  the  quarrel  scene  in  the  last  act,  they  are  made  to  say 
spiteful  things  to  each  other  and  on  one  occasion  Madame 
D'Arville  informed  me  that  Miss  Halton  had  used  this 
privilege  to  abuse  her  because  of  jealousy.  When  the  cur- 
tain fell  there  was  a  scene  and  many  bitter  words  passed, 
but  the  matter  was  amicably  settled. 

One  morning  during  the  Kocian  engagement  following  his 
first  performances  in  New  York,  I  received  a  telephone  call 
from  the  late  Mr.  William  C.  Whitney  (former  Secretary 
of  the  Navy).  He  inquired  if  Kocian's  services  were  avail- 
able for  a  musicale  at  his  residence  on  Fifth  Avenue  on  the 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  179 

following  Sunday  evening  at  ten  o'clock.  I  replied  that  Mr. 
Kocian  was  in  Chicago  and  that  he  played  there  at  the  Audi- 
torium on  Saturday  afternoon  and  I  had  my  doubts  about  ar- 
ranging the  matter,  but  would  wire  my  representative  sug- 
gesting that  Kocian's  position  on  the  program  be  moved 
forward,  so  that  he  could  leave  by  the  fast  afternoon  train, 
and  perhaps  fill  the  engagement. 

The  terms  were  fixed  with  Mr.  Whitney  at  fifteen  hundred 
dollars  for  the  one  appearance.  Kocian  managed  to  catch 
the  afternoon  train  from  Chicago,  which  unfortunately, 
through  some  mishap,  was  detained  at  or  near  Albany  and 
did  not  reach  the  Grand  Central  Station  until  eleven-thirty 
p.  M.  on  Sunday.  In  order  to  save  time,  the  young  violin 
virtuoso  had  donned  his  dress  suit  en  route.  He  hailed  the 
first  automobile,  arriving  at  midnight  at  Mr.  Whitney's 
residence,  where  he  delighted  the  anxious  guests  with  his  ar- 
tistic and  brilliant  interpretations. 

On  April  2oth,  1891,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  attending  at 
Princes'  Hall,  Piccadilly,  London,  a  concert  of  The  Royal 
Amateur  Orchestral  Society,  considered  the  finest  body  of 
amateur  musicians  in  England.  The  late  Duke  of  Edin- 
burgh was  the  leader  of  the  first  violins.  The  Prince  of 
Wales  (afterwards  King  Edward  VII)  took  a  strong  interest 
in  the  Society,  and  always  arranged  the  dates  of  the  perform- 
ances himself,  besides  consulting  the  Society's  able  conductor, 
Mr.  George  Mount,  as  to  the  main  feature  of  the  program. 


i8o      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

At  this  concert,  a  circle  of  comfortable  fauteuils  was  re- 
served for  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  his  party.  The  fauteuils 
were  prettily  decorated  with  flowers,  and  conveniently  near 
was  a  small  but  well  stocked  buffet.  The  Prince  of  Wales 
and  his  party  smoked,  chatted  and  laughed  most  heartily. 
In  a  word,  they  all  appeared  to  enjoy  thoroughly  the  absence 
of  restraint  which  is  one  of  the  chief  features  of  these  de- 
lightful entertainments.  The  company  present  included  the 
Duke  of  Cambridge,  the  Duke  of  Teck,  the  Earl  of  Latham, 
Sir  Arthur  Sullivan,  Sir  Frederick  Leighton  and  many  other 
well  known  faces. 

I  first  introduced  the  Hungarian  Band  conducted  by 
Erdelyi  Naczi  in  the  early  eighties  on  the  Roof  Garden  of 
the  New  York  Casino.  The  success  was  immediate,  so  much 
so  that  Mrs.  Paran  Stevens  arranged  with  me  for  the  first 
appearance  of  this  band  in  private  at  an  al  fresco  entertain- 
ment at  her  magnificent  villa  at  Newport  for  which  she  paid 
the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars. 

The  late  Mr.  Austin  Corbin,  President  of  the  Long  Island 
Railroad  Company,  was  one  of  my  warmest  friends.  I  was 
present  as  one  of  his  guests  on  the  first  tour  of  inspection  over 
his  road  and  at  the  dinner  in  honor  of  the  opening  of  the 
Manhattan  Beach  Hotel  some  thirty  years  ago.  It  was  Austin 
Corbin  who  courteously  presided  at  a  stockholders'  meeting  of 
the  Casino  Company  in  my  behalf  and  who  lent  me  a  help- 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  181 

ing  hand  in  the  battle  with  my  enemies  of  that  company. 

A  visit  to  Manhattan  and  Brighton  Beach  in  the  summer 
of  1912  convinced  me  of  the  fickleness  of  the  public,  and  the 
changes  that  are  brought  about  in  a  generation !  During  the 
Austin  Corbin  regime,  the  best  orchestras  and  bands  under 
the  conductorship  of  Theodore  Thomas,  Anton  Seidl,  Pa- 
trick S.  Gilmore,  John  Philip  Sousa,  Victor  Herbert  and 
others  assisted  by  great  artists  attracted  the  multitude  to  both 
those  then  popular  resorts,  but  now  the  public  drifts  to  amuse- 
ments of  an  entirely  different  nature  such  as  is  afforded  at 
Luna  and  Steeplechase  Parks  at  Coney  Island. 

I  recall  that  on  a  certain  Saturday  afternoon  and  evening 
in  the  early  eighties  at  Manhattan  Beach,  Jules  Levy,  who 
was  then  the  cornet  soloist  with  Gilmore' s  band,  was  the  re- 
cipient of  a  testimonial,  receiving  in  addition  to  his  extraordi- 
nary salary,  a  percentage  of  that  one  day's  Manhattan  Beach 
Railroad  receipts.  At  the  evening  concert  Levy  performed 
my  "Sweet  Sixteen  Waltz"  (which  I  composed  for  him)  in 
his  inimitable  manner  and  with  the  addition  of  his  own 
marvelous  cadenzas,  eliciting  the  thunderous  applause  of  the 
largest  audience  that  I  ever  witnessed  at  a  musical  entertain- 
ment. 

During  the  season  1898  I  presented  at  the  Metropolitan 
Opera  House,  New  York,  the  famous  Grenadier  Guards 
Band,  with  the  equally  famous  bandmaster,  Lieutenant  Dan 
Godfrey  of  London.  Their  success  was  well  deserved  and 


i82      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

they  sustained  in  every  way  the  high  standard  they  had  estab- 
lished in  Europe  and  at  the  Boston  Peace  Jubilee  in  1870. 
Following  the  concerts  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  I 
arranged  for  a  tour  of  the  band  in  some  of  the  principal  cities 
of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  followed  by  a  series  of  con- 
certs at  the  Lenox  Lyceum  (now  the  Plaza  Music  Hall)  in 
New  York.  Victor  Herbert,  who  at  that  time  was  giving 
concerts  at  Manhattan  Beach,  invited  Dan  Godfrey  and  his 
band  as  his  guests  one  afternoon,  when  a  well  chosen  pro- 
gram, principally  made  up  of  English  and  Irish  selections 
was  performed  and  heartily  enjoyed.  The  English  band- 
master, Godfrey,  fairly  embraced  the  Irish  conductor  and  com- 
poser, Herbert,  and  complimented  him  upon  the  excellence  of 
his  band. 

In  the  early  nineties,  while  supping  with  Mr.  N.  Vert,  the 
well  known  concert  manager,  and  my  elder  brother  Joe  at 
the  Gambrinus,  a  German  restaurant  in  London,  my  atten- 
tion was  attracted  to  a  table  not  far  distant,  at  which  were 
seated  four  pianists.  I  went  over  and  greeted  them,  saying: 
"It  is  indeed  a  rare  treat  to  have  the  pleasure  of  greeting  four 
so  distinguished  pianists."  One  of  them  replied  rather 
sharply:  "I  beg  your  pardon,  there  are  only  two  distinguished 
pianists  present."  I  was  taken  back,  because  the  quartette 
comprised  Moriz  Rosenthal,  Mark  Hamburg,  Leopold 
Godowsky  and  Vladimir  de  Pachmann.  Returning  to  my 
seat,  I  informed  Mr.  Vert  of  the  occurrence,  who  at  once 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  183 

said  de  Pachmann  was  the  guilty  offender  and  that  his  dis- 
tinguished preference  was  Godowsky. 

When,  afterwards,  I  met  de  Pachmann  in  New  York  dur- 
ing one  of  his  concert  tours,  I  said  to  him :  "Doctor,  of  course 
Chopin  is  your  favorite  composer"  (de  Pachmann  being 
recognized  the  world  over  as  a  Chopin  interpreter  par  ex- 
cellence) ,  but  to  my  astonishment  he  replied  emphatically: 
"I  hate,  I  detest  Chopin!  My  favorites  are  Beethoven, 
Schumann  and  Mendelssohn!" 

During  one  of  my  first  visits  to  Berlin  in  the  early  seventies, 
I  stayed  at  the  Hotel  Kaiserhof,  where  the  great  International 
Congress  was  being  held.  There  were  present,  besides  Bis- 
marck, Thiers,  Gortschakoff  and  other  distinguished  repre- 
sentatives, Benjamin  Disraeli.  Their  conferences  were  held 
on  the  first  floor  of  the  hotel,  and  on  two  or  three  occasions 
I  had  the  opportunity,  while  walking  up  to  my  room  on  the 
second  floor,  of  seeing  the  great  English  Prime  Minister. 
When  at  a  recent  performance  (1912)  at  Wallack's  Theater, 
New  York,  I  witnessed  Mr.  George  Arliss'  remarkable  and 
artistic  performance  of  Louis  N.  Parker's  delightful  play 
"Disraeli,"  I  was  struck  too  by  that  fine  artist's  wonderful 
make-up  and  lifelike  characterization;  indeed  the  Disraeli  I 
saw  forty  years  before  was  vividly  brought  before  my  gaze. 

While  in  Milan  in  1900,  I  had  the  good  fortune  to  be 
present  at  the  premiere  of  Puccini's  masterpiece  "Tosca"  at 


184      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

the  Scala,  with  Darclee,  De  March!  and  Giraldoni  in  the  cast. 
The  house  had  been  sold  out  for  weeks  before,  but  my  friend, 
Signer  Franco  Fano,  editor  of  the  Mondo  Artistico^  succeeded 
in  procuring  a  seat  for  me. 

Maestro  Toscanini,  that  wizard  of  operatic  conductors, 
wielded  the  baton  over  his  one  hundred  professori  of  the 
world-famous  Scala  orchestra,  and  it  so  happened  that 
at  the  last  orchestral  rehearsal  (at  which  Puccini  was  not  pres- 
ent), Toscanini  took  it  upon  himself  to  change  the  tempo 
of  the  finale  of  the  first  act,  one  of  the  most  important  num- 
bers in  the  opera,  thereby  attaining  a  more  satisfactory  effect. 

At  the  first  public  performance  at  which  Puccini  was  pres- 
ent, he  and  the  distinguished  audience  which  packed  the 
spacious  Scala,  sat  spellbound,  and  after  Toscanini  (always 
minus  the  orchestra  score)  directed  that  great  number  pre- 
viously alluded  to,  the  tempo  of  which  he  himself  had  changed 
unknown  to  the  composer,  Puccini  rose  from  his  seat  and 
rapturously  applauded,  as  did  the  audience,  and  "Tosca"  had 
won  a  great  victory,  due  in  a  measure  to  Toscanini. 

Some  years  previous  to  the  Tosca  premiere,  I  happened  to 
stroll  into  the  "Scala"  one  morning,  for  the  purpose  of  get- 
ting a  view  of  that  famous  opera  house,  and  with  a  guide 
went  minutely  over  the  enormous  stage,  its  lighting  and 
mechanical  arrangements,  and  its  auditorium,  studying  its 
wonderful  acoustic  properties,  and  finally  arriving  at  the  en- 
trance corridor  where  I  was  confronted  with  four  marble 
statues  of  Italy's  immortals — Bellini,  Donizetti,  Rossini  and 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  185 

Verdi.  I  casually  remarked  to  the  guide:  "How  about  Puc- 
cini; don't  you  think  that  he  is  entitled  to  a  place  here1?" 
The  guide  smiled  and  said  simply,  "Piccolo,  piccolo!" 
(Little,  little!)  That  was  in  the  early  days  of  Puccini,  how- 
ever, before  he  had  enriched  the  world  with  "Manon 
Lescaut,"  "Tosca,"  "La  Boheme,"  and  "Madama  Butterfly." 

While  I  was  in  London  in  the  spring  of  1906,  Her  Grace 
the  Duchess  of  Marlborough,  who  was  Miss  Consuelo  Van- 
derbilt,  contemplated  giving  a  musicale  for  the  benefit  of 
one  of  her  pet  charities,  the  West  Ham  and  East  London 
Hospital  Extension  Fund.  I  suggested  to  Her  Grace,  that 
it  would  afford  me  great  pleasure,  as  an  American  manager 
and  compatriot,  to  assist  not  only  in  the  management  of  her 
musicale,  but  also  in  providing  the  artists. 

My  offer  was  graciously  accepted  and  the  following  pro- 
gram was  offered: 

1  Selections —  The  Blue  Viennese  Band 

(HERR  MORITZ  WURM,  Conductor) 

2  Characteristic  Portrayals — 

a  "Angelina  Johnsing"  Dunbar 

b  "Mighty  Like  a  Rose" 
c  "At  the  Box  Office" 

Miss  LILLIAN  WOODWARD 

3  Songs — 

a  "Chanson  de  Printemps"  Gounod 

b  "Quand  je  fus  pris"  Reynaldo  Hahn 

MR.  LE"ON  RENNAY 

4  Violin  Solos 

a  "Legende"  Wieniawski 

b  "Zephir"  Hubay 


i86      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

HERR  FERENCZ  HEGEDUS 

5  Songs — 

a  "The  Dewdrops"  Liza  Lehmann 

b  "To  a  Little  Red  Spider" 
c  "The  Guardian  Angel" 
(By  desire) 

Miss  ESTHER  PALLISER 
(Accompanied  by  the  Composer) 

6  Cornet  Solos 

a  "Berceuse"  Tschaikowsky 

b  "Serenade  Coquette"  Barthelemy 

MR.  PARIS  CHAMBERS 

7  Selections —  The  Blue  Viennese  Band 

(HERR  MORITZ  WURM,  Conductor} 
GOD  SAVE  THE  KING 

The  elite  of  London  Society  and  many  distinguished  Amer- 
icans attended  and  the  musicale  was  a  pronounced  success. 
The  Duchess  of  Marlborough,  in  whom  I  recognized  a  most 
charming,  amiable,  unaffected  woman,  one  who  endeared  her- 
self to  all  who  had  the  honor  of  meeting  her,  thanked  me 
again  and  again. 

In  May,  1911,  I  was  a  passenger  on  the  steamer  Lapland 
bound  for  Europe,  and  in  order  to  break  away  from  the  or- 
dinary monotony  of  a  sea  trip  I  suggested  to  Captain  Doxrud 
the  giving  of  a  concert  for  the  benefit  of  the  Sailors'  Relief 
Fund,  to  which  he  readily  acquiesced.  There  was  an  un- 
usually large  passenger  list,  which  included  Mr.  Charles  P. 
Taft  (brother  of  President  Taft),  Count  Conrad  de  Buisseret, 
the  Belgian  Minister  to  the  United  States,  and  Senator  Al- 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  187 

bert  J.  Beveridge.  Mr.  Taft  kindly  consented  to  act  as 
chairman  of  the  concert  and  the  Belgian  Minister  and  Sena- 
tor Beveridge  favored  the  passengers  with  a  few  timely  re- 
marks. 

Previous  to  each  number  Mr.  Taft  made  a  little  explana- 
tory anouncement.  The  first  number  on  the  program 
was  my  march,  "The  Man  of  the  Hour,"  which  was  dedicated 
to  President  Taft.  Mr.  Taft  in  perusing  the  program  for 
the  first  time  seemed  somewhat  confused  as  to  what  he  should 
say  relative  to  this  number,  but  the  passengers  (with  the 
printed  program  in  hand)  came  to  his  rescue,  applauding 
heartily,  and  the  chairman  smilingly  retired  until  the  next 
and  subsequent  numbers.  Several  hundred  dollars  were  added 
to  the  sailors'  fund. 

In  1905  I  spent  a  few  weeks  at  Salsomaggiore  in  Italy, 
where  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  the  distinguished  com- 
poser, Ruggero  Leoncavallo.  It  was  during  one  of  our  little 
promenades  that  I  suggested  to  him  a  tour  in  the  United 
States,  Mexico  and  Cuba.  He  was  at  first  taken  back,  but 
he  reflected  and  after  a  few  days  fixed  a  meeting  for  the  near 
future  at  his  beautiful  villa  at  Brissago  on  Lake  Maggiore. 
I  visited  his  home,  where  I  was  presented  to  his  charming 
wife  and  family,  and  after  dinner  a  provisional  agreement 
was  entered  into  between  Leoncavallo  and  myself. 

Shortly  after,  we  met  again  at  his  Milan  abode,  the  Hotel 
Victoria,  where  he  introduced  me  to  Signor  Titta  Ruifo,  one 


i88      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

of  Italy's  foremost  baritones,  who  laughingly  remarked  that 
he  might  ere  long  undertake  "a  tour  of  inspection  of  the  New 
World." 

I  had  heard  and  admired  Signor  Ruffo  in  "Hamlet," 
"Rigoletto,"  "The  Barber  of  Seville,"  and  "Pagliacci,"  and 
said  to  him:  "Why  don't  you  come  to  the  Metropolitan  in 
New  York?"  He  replied  that  negotiations  had  been  under 
way  many  times,  but  that  his  terms  were  too  high,  and  further- 
more that  with  his  European  and  South  American  engage- 
ments it  was  difficult  for  him  to  find  the  time  for  New  York, 
much  as  he  would  like  to  appear  there.  I  note  with  great 
pleasure  that  the  present  director,  Andreas  Dippel,  has  finally 
succeeded  in  capturing  Ruffo  for  the  season  1912-1913  in  New 
York,  Chicago,  Philadelphia  and  Boston.  There  is  a  splendid 
treat  in  store  for  American  lovers  of  the  opera ! 

I  thereupon  discussed  with  Leoncavallo  some  further  details 
of  the  agreement  and  after  a  short  period  sailed  for  New  York, 
where  in  due  course  of  time  I  interested  an  American  manager, 
Mr.  John  Cort,  in  the  enterprise.  Contracts  were  finally  signed, 
Leoncavallo  with  his  company  and  orchestra  arrived,  and  the 
first  operatic  concert  was  given  at  Carnegie  Hall,  New  York, 
October  8th,  1906.  Leoncavallo  conducted,  and  the  pro- 
gram consisted  of  works  entirely  of  his  own  composition.  It 
was  to  be  regretted,  however,  that  the  orchestra  was  not  up  to 
the  mark,  owing  to  the  sudden  retirement,  the  very  day  of  em- 
barkation from  Genoa,  of  a  number  of  excellent  performers, 
whose  places  had  to  be  filled  with  inferior  musicians.  The 


WAR       DEPARTMENT. 
WASHI  NCTON 

June  27,  1908. 

My  dear  Mr.  Aronson: 

I  beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  favor 
of  the  19th  of  June,  and  thank  you  for  remembering 
me  and  for  your  kind  words  of  congratulation. 
Very  sincerely  yours, 


Mr.  Rudolph  Aronson, 

227  Riverside  Drive, 
New  York,    N.    Y. 


A  LETTER  FROM  WILLIAM  HOWARD  TAFT 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  189 

public  and  the  critics  took  somewhat  unkindly  to  this,  and  the 
result  was  only  a  moderate  success  for  the  tour,  although 
Leoncavallo  was  lionized  whenever  and  wherever  he  appeared. 

On  October  29th,  1906,  I  presented  to  President  Roosevelt 
in  Washington  a  specially  prepared  copy  of  Leoncavallo's 
"Viva  PAmerica  March,"  built  on  the  two  melodies,  "Yankee 
Doodle"  and  "Dixie,"  which  was  dedicated  to  him  by  the  com- 
poser. The  outside  silk  cover  bore  an  embossed  design  by 
Mr.  John  Frew,  and  the  music  was  etched  on  heavy  vellum. 
The  President,  in  accepting  the  work,  said:  "I  am  delighted 
that  a  composer  of  the  position  of  Leoncavallo,  whose 
'Pagliacci'  I  have  enjoyed  so  many  times,  should  do  me 
this  great  honor,  and  I  shall  forward  him  my  letter  of 
thanks." 

In  1907  I  visited  Havana  and  Mexico  in  the  interest  of 
Leoncavallo  and  his  company,  and  succeeded  in  procuring  pri- 
vate guarantees  in  the  former  and  a  governmental  subsidy  in 
the  latter,  but  even  with  these  substantial  financial  assurances, 
it  was  found  impracticable  to  arrange  for  a  second  tour. 

During  my  stay  in  Mexico  City,  the  honor  was  accorded  me 
of  meeting  Diaz,  then  President,  at  the  palace  at  Chapultepec, 
a  most  genial  old  gentleman  of  decidedly  military  bearing.  I 
spoke  to  him  of  the  proposed  Leoncavallo  tour  through  Mexico, 
in  which  he  was  much  interested,  and  he  said :  "Why  would  it 
not  be  well  for  Leoncavallo  to  compose  an  opera  on  a  Mexican 
subject,  for  the  inauguration  of  our  new  National  Opera 
House,  now  in  course  of  construction?"  Alas,  since  that 


190      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

memorable  interview,  President  Diaz  has  retired  from  Mexico 
and  the  work  on  the  opera  house  is  progressing  slowly. 

In  1906,  through  the  kind  offices  of  my  friend,  Norbert 
Dunkl,  I  was  presented  to  the  brothers  Paganini  of  Parma,  who 
are  barons.  They  commissioned  me  to  sell  en  bloc  the  valu- 
able Paganini  collection,  which  comprises  a  large  number  of  un- 
published compositions,  the  original  manuscripts  of  nearly  all 
the  works  of  the  most  famous  of  violinists,  scores  of  important 
letters  and  documents,  correspondence  with  notables,  books, 
objects  of  vertu,  personal  effects,  paintings,  medals,  decorations, 
watches,  statues,  and  musical  instruments.  Among  the  manu- 
scripts is  Concerto  No.  3  in  E,  no  mention  of  which  has  been 
made  by  any  of  the  biographers  of  Paganini.  All  these 
writers,  in  enumerating  his  compositions,  state  that  he  wrote 
only  two  concertos,  both  of  which  are  familiar  to  the  concert- 
goers  of  to-day. 

Among  the  unpublished  music  are  examples  in  nearly  every 
form — overtures,  tone-poems,  string  quartets,  trios,  fantasies, 
etudes,  songs,  pieces  for  the  guitar  and  mandolin,  marches, 
waltzes,  etc.  Some  of  these  unknown  works  are  deemed 
worthy  of  a  place  among  the  best  the  violinist  ever  produced. 

The  Paganini  brothers  are  nephews  of  Nicolo  Paganini  and 
from  his  son  and  heir,  Achile,  they  inherited  this  property. 
Many  connoisseurs  have  made  pilgrimages  to  Italy  to  inspect 
this  collection,  and  large  offers  of  money  have  been  made  for  it. 
Hitherto  no  propositions  of  this  character  would  be  considered. 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  191 

Violin  collectors  have  endeavored  to  buy  the  musical  instru- 
ments which  constitute  a  part  of  the  property,  but  no  offers 
could  tempt  the  brothers  Paganini  to  dispose  of  these.  One 
of  the  instruments,  which  possesses  a  sentimental  value  not  to 
be  computed  in  dollars,  is  the  miniature  violin  which  Paganini 
played  when  he  was  a  mere  boy.  This  was  the  first  violin  he 
ever  owned,  and  he  used  it  until  he  could  play  a  full-sized 
violin.  One  of  the  instruments  in  the  collection  is  the  guitar, 
which  Paganini  played  with  matchless  skill. 

To  describe  minutely  everything  contained  in  this  collec- 
tion would  take  pages  of  this  volume.  Undoubtedly  it  is 
one  of  the  most  interesting,  most  valuable  collections  in  ex- 
istence, and  would  be  a  decided  acquisition  to  the  Metropoli- 
tan Museum  of  Art  in  New  York,  the  Smithsonian  Institute 
in  Washington  or  some  other  institution  of  the  kind,  where 
it  could  be  placed  on  exhibition  and  be  accessible  to  the  pub- 
lic. 

In  the  spring  of  1906  I  was  stopping  in  Paris  when  Oscar 
Hammerstein  was  there,  and  we  met  a  number  of  times.  He 
was  then,  with  great  difficulty,  endeavoring  to  engage  artists 
for  his  first  season  at  the  Manhattan  Opera  House,  New  York. 
On  one  occasion  he  asked:  "Have  you  heard  Melba  recently?" 
I  said  to  him :  "Yes,  in  Rigoletto  with  Bonci  at  Covent  Gar- 
den, London."  "How  was  her  voice?"  I  replied  that  the 
diva's  voice  owing  to  the  effects  of  a  bad  cold  was  by  no 
means  good,  at  which  Hammerstein  answered:  "Well,  no 


192      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

matter,  I  have  engaged  her  for  a  number  of  appearances  at 
my  Manhattan  Opera  House,  and  here  is  her  receipt  for  fifty 
thousand  francs  on  account."  After  that  diplomatic  coup,  on 
the  part  of  Hammerstein,  artists  flocked  to  him  from  every 
direction,  and  his  enterprise  was  definitely  launched.  It  was 
Madame  Melba  who  during  Hammerstein's  first  Grand 
Opera  season  in  New  York  (she  was  then  in  splendid  voice), 
helped  him  immeasurably  in  scoring  his  first  success. 

During  my  regime  as  manager  of  the  New  York  Casino, 
I  insisted  that  my  stage  directors  prepare  a  full  line  of  un- 
derstudies, to  be  ready  in  case  of  emergency  the  very  first 
night  of  a  representation,  thus  avoiding  in  case  of  illness  or 
other  unforeseen  difficulty  any  disappointment  to  the  public. 
During  the  run  of  "The  Tyrolean"  at  the  Casino,  when  that 
charming  artist,  Miss  Marie  Tempest,  was  then  playing  the 
title  role  in  that  tuneful  little  operetta,  she  slipped  while  on 
the  stage  and  hurt  herself  so  seriously  that  for  almost  a  week, 
it  was  impossible  for  her  to  appear.  Her  understudy,  how- 
ever, Miss  Madge  Yorke,  a  very  pretty  and  talented  young 
lady  recruited  from  the  chorus,  played  the  part  very  accept- 
ably. Miss  Yorke  would  in  my  judgment  have  attained  a 
very  high  place  in  the  profession,  had  she  not  died  shortly 
after  her  success  in  "The  Tyrolean"  from  the  effects  of  a  pistol 
shot,  at  the  hands  of  an  insanely  jealous  actor. 

During  the  successful  run  of  "Nadjy"  at  the  Casino,  I  re- 
member calling  on  Miss  Marie  Jansen  just  previous  to  her 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  193 

taking  a  short  vacation.  I  found  her  in  an  unusually  philo- 
sophical mood.  When  she  received  me  in  her  parlor  she  was 
robed  in  yellow  silk  bound  round  the  waist  by  a  solid  silver 
girdle,  exquisitely  engraved.  She  chatted  gaily  about  her 
summer  prospects. 

"I  am  soon  to  quit  work  and  really  I  think  I  have  earned 
my  rest,  don't  you?  First  I  shall  go  to  Winthrop  (near  Bos- 
ton), my  home,  of  which  I  am  so  proud,  and  then  straight  to 
England.  I  shall  go  to  Oxford  and  thence  down  the  Thames 
as  far  as  the  Star  and  Garter  and  back  again  to  the  Casino  in 
September. 

"I  hope  to  have  a  delightful  time  in  Europe.  I  shall  be 
alone,  but  then  one  meets  pleasant  people  by  the  way.  The 
strain  on  my  nerves  since  playing  'Nadjy'  on  so  brief  a  notice 
has  been  trying — worry  depresses  me  so  much — but  then  I 
have  my  music,  which  I  love,  and  I  sit  for  hours,  singing 
quaint  old  melodies,  and  crying  over  them,  just  as  a  woman 
does. 

"My  amusements'?  Oh,  I  love  swimming  or  yachting  best. 
Anything  out  of  doors  I  delight  in.  Baseball  seems  silly  to 
me.  I  can  imagine  men  running  after  one  pretty  girl,  but  to 
chase  a  little  ball  about  in  such  arduous  fashion  is  incompre- 
hensible. 

"I  think  it  a  pity  we  stage  women  are  so  much  talked 
about.  The  public  has  its  spyglass  upon  us  perpetually;  not 
always  in  a  kindly  focus.  Our  life  is  hard  at  best,  but  my 
hope  is  that  the  public  will  never  tire  of  me.  I  mean  to  do  all 


194      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

the  good  I  can,  so  that  when  I  die  I  may  be  remembered  ten 
days  instead  of  the  traditional  nine. 

"Do  have  a  glass  of  sherry,"  and  as  she  poured  it  out  a  flood 
of  melody  came  from  the  decanter,  which  fair  Nadjy 
laughingly  accounted  for  by  explaining  that  a  music  box  was 
concealed  beneath  it. 

Before  taking  leave  of  her  she  called  my  attention  to  a 
most  beautiful  silver  hand  glass  presented  to  her  by  Miss 
Pauline  Hall  (another  Casino  favorite)  with  the  following 
inscription  engraved  thereon: 

"Pensez  a  moi  quelques  fois.     POLLIE." 

While  in  Paris  in  1888,  I  visited  the  old  "Auberge  des  Ad- 
rets"  near  the  Porte  Saint-Martin,  the  inn  at  which  Robert 
Macaire  and  Jacques  Strop,  or,  as  these  characters  are  known 
in  "Erminie,"  Ravennes  and  Cadeaux,  were  said  to  have 
lodged  in  the  episode  of  the  play. 

The  place  has  been  restored  to  its  ancient  appearance,  and 
besides  life  size  effigies  of  these  two  famous  French  rogues  at 
the  chimney  side,  visitors  are  served  with  refreshments  by 
waiters  clothed  in  the  costumes  of  the  period  of  the  play. 

There  were  many  great  benefit  performances  given  at  the 
Casino  during  my  regime.  Besides  that  for  the  General 
Sherman  Statue  Fund  previously  mentioned, — I  recall  one  for 
"The  Statue  of  Liberty"  (when  a  miniature  fac-simile  of 
Bartholdi's  masterpiece  which  now  adorns  New  York  harbor, 


WHITE   HOUSE. 

WASHINCTO-N. 


October  21,   1904. 

My  dear   Mr.    Aronson: 

I   want  to   thank  you   for  all   the   interest  you  have 
taken,   and    eay   that  I  appreciate  your   having  composed 
the  march   for  me. 

With  regard e, 

Sincerely  yours, 


Mr.    Rudolph  Aronson, 

Cercle   Artistique, 

124  West   34th  Street 
Kew  York,    N.   Y. 


A   LETTER   FROM   THEODORE   ROOSEVELT 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  195 

held  a  conspicuous  place  on  the  stage)  still  another  for  the 
French  Benevolent  Society  when  the  divine  Sarah  Bernhardt, 
the  operatic  Emma  Eames  and  the  piquante  Marie  Tempest 
assisted,  also  those  for  the  Actors'  Fund  of  America.  The 
Maine  Monument  Fund  and  one  on  April  27th,  1890,  for  the 
New  York  Press  Club  at  which  the  following  distinguished 
artists  appeared :  Miss  Lillian  Russell,  Miss  Florence  St.  John, 
Miss  Rose  Coghlan,  Miss  Pauline  Hall,  Miss  Fanny  Rice,  Mrs. 
Georgie  Drew  Barrymore,  Mr.  Francis  Wilson,  Mr.  Robert 
Mantell,  Mr.  Wilton  Lackaye,  Mr.  Lewis  Morrison,  Mr. 
James  T.  Powers,  Mr.  Richard  F.  Carroll,  Mr.  Fred  Solomon, 
Mr.  Courtney  Thorpe,  Mr.  Henry  Hallam,  Mr.  Marshall  P. 
Wilder,  and  "Little  Tuesday." 

One  of  the  most  interesting  events  in  my  career  was  my 
attendance  at  the  Passion  Play  at  Ober-Ammergau  in  the 
summer  of  1900. 

I  had  letters  of  introduction  to  Anton  Lang,  who  took  the 
part  of  Christ  and  who  courteously  assisted  me  in  many  ways 
besides  procuring  comfortable  abode  and  good  seats  at  the 
play. 

The  performance  opens  with  the  tableaux  of  Adam  and 
Eve  driven  from  the  garden  of  Eden  and  closes  with  the 
ascension  scene.  It  takes  from  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning 
until  five-thirty  in  the  afternoon  to  produce  the  play,  with 
an  intermission  from  twelve  to  one-thirty. 

In  1633  a  fearful  plague  raged  in  Southern  Bavaria,  and  the 
natives  of  the  village  of  Ober-Ammergau  in  a  moment  of 


196      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

despair  registered  a  solemn  vow  that  if  the  Lord  caused  the 
pestilence  to  cease,  they  would  perform  the  following  year 
in  the  village  a  play  depicting  the  passion  of  Our  Lord,  and 
would  repeat  it  every  ten  years.  The  plague  ceased,  and  the 
Passion  Play,  now  famous  the  world  over,  was  the  result. 

The  play  which  was  originally  written  by  the  Benedictine 
monks  of  Ettal  at  a  monastery  a  mile  and  a  half  from  Ober- 
Ammergau,  has  been  changed  half  a  dozen  times,  though  the 
words  have  been  taken  directly  from  the  Bible.  The  story 
is  made  up  of  eighteen  acts  and  twenty-three  tableaux. 

The  stage  itself  is  of  wood  and  is  140  feet  long  by  no 
feet  deep,  the  apron  being  much  larger  than  that  of  the 
ordinary  stage.  Up  center  is  the  proscenium  arch,  the  open- 
ing of  which  is  62  feet  wide  by  61  deep.  On  either  side  of 
the  opening  and  separating  the  proscenium  from  the  palaces 
of  Pontius  and  Pilate  and  of  the  High  Priest  are  two  arches. 
The  two  palaces  are  on  the  extreme  right  and  left  of  the  stage, 
and  are  effective  in  a  magnificent  picture. 

The  proscenium  is  separated  from  the  apron  by  a  portiere 
curtain  which  is  drawn  between  each  scene.  There  is,  how- 
ever, also  a  frame  curtain,  the  upper  half  of  which  draws  up 
into  the  arch,  while  the  lower  half  sinks  into  the  stage. 
This  curtain  is  used  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  the  play, 
and  between  the  intermissions. 

The  scenery  of  the  Passion  Play  is  built  entirely  for  day- 
light effect.  Strange  to  say,  there  is  no  fly  gallery,  the  pin 
rail  being  in  the  wings,  and  the  only  lines  used  are  for  the 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  197 

borders.  As  a  back  set  there  is  a  panorama  roll  400  feet 
long,  with  ten  scene  backings,  each  40  feet  long.  This 
panorama  is  stretched  upon  two  huge  rollers  and  moves  from 
side  to  side  instead  of  being  lowered  from  the  flies  as  is  usually 
the  case. 

The  dressing  rooms  and  property  rooms  are  under  the  stage 
and  behind  the  panorama.  In  these  rooms  are  stored  two  sets 
of  costumes  for  each  performer,  one  for  dry  and  the  other 
for  wet  weather,  this  being  rendered  necessary  by  the  fact 
that  the  performance  is  never  halted  even  by  the  worst  rain- 
storm. Besides  the  costumes,  there  are  complete  arms  and 
armor  for  360  supernumeraries. 

The  stage  itself  is  without  cover,  and  situated  as  it  is 
with  a  background  of  forest-covered  hills  and  the  blue  sky 
for  a  canopy,  the  effect  is  such  as  no  inclosed  theater  ever 
could  produce.  Often  during  the  representation  birds  will 
fly  across  the  apron  or  perch  themselves  upon  the  uppermost 
portions  of  the  stage,  and  their  songs  and  twittering  add  an 
element  of  reality,  which  makes  the  illusion  almost  perfect. 

The  principals  enter  through  the  arches,  and  most  of  the 
action  takes  place  on  the  apron,  the  proscenium  opening  being 
used  exclusively  for  the  tableaux  and  for  the  set  scenes,  such 
as  the  ascension.  The  chorus,  which  is  composed  of  thirty- 
four  voices,  makes  its  entrance  between  the  scenes  from  the 
two  palaces  on  either  side,  half  from  each  palace. 

The  illusion  created  both  by  scenery  and  the  actors  is 
marvelous,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  no  make-up  is  used. 


198      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

The  mechanical  effects,  though  really  very  simple,  equal  those 
of  the  finest  prestidigitators.  Much  has  been  written  of  the 
wonderful  effect  produced  by  the  Crucifixion  scene,  yet  the  ex- 
planation is  most  simple.  Just  before  the  curtain  is  drawn 
aside  the  sound  of  hammers  is  heard  and  then  the  scene  is  dis- 
closed of  the  cross  lying  upon  the  ground  with  the  Christ 
stretched  out  upon  it.  As  the  huge  structure  is  slowly  raised 
by  the  soldiery  and  set  into  the  holes  prepared  for  it,  the 
spectators  are  horrified  to  see  the  nails  apparently  piercing  the 
palms  of  the  hands,  and  the  blood  flowing  from  the  wounds. 
So  realistic  is  the  effect  that  almost  at  every  performance 
women  faint  away  at  the  sight.  The  explanation,  however, 
is  that  the  performer  who  takes  the  part  of  the  Christ  wears 
under  his  tunic  a  leather  corselet  which  is  attached  to  the 
cross,  and  under  his  feet  is  an  invisible  support.  Nails  are 
also  placed  between  his  fingers  to  support  the  weight  of  the 
arms  and  the  nails  which  seemingly  pierce  his  palms  being 
really  only  heads  which  are  attached  to  invisible  wire  brace- 
lets. 

Previously  to  1900  the  audience  sat  in  the  open  air,  but 
the  frequency  of  thunder  showers  has  caused  the  authorities 
to  have  an  auditorium  constructed,  140  feet  by  232,  that  holds 
4,200  persons.  The  prices  range  from  50  cents  to  $2.50. 
There  are  no  galleries,  but  in  the  rear  (the  same  as  at  the 
Wagner  Festspielhaus  in  Bayreuth)  are  the  boxes  of  the  royal 
family  and  the  church  dignitaries.  In  a  semi-circular  frame 
surrounding  the  boxes  and  forming  a  rear  to  the  auditorium 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  199 

are  two  huge  paintings,  one  of  Ober-Ammergau  itself  and  the 
other  the  scene  of  the  first  Passion  Play. 

The  present  stage  was  built  in  1860.  During  the  years 
when  the  stage  is  not  in  use  it  is  boarded  up,  thus  preserving 
it  from  the  effects  of  the  weather. 

Wonderful,  however,  as  the  stage  devices  are,  they  would 
be  useless  if  it  were  not  for  the  marvelous  acting  of  the  per- 
formers. It  seems  almost  blasphemy  to  call  it  acting,  for  it 
is  neither  theatrical  knowledge  nor  histrionic  genius,  but 
simply  that  the  spirit  of  the  Christ  descends  upon  these  rustic 
villagers,  and  they  live  the  scenes  because  they  cannot  help 
living  them. 

Out  of  a  population  of  only  1,400,  685  take  part  in  the 
play.  All  of  them  are  lowly  born,  and  yet  the  greatest  actors 
of  the  world  could  be  no  more  earnest  or  effective. 

Anton  Lang  is  a  typical  illustration.  Here  is  a  poor  stove 
builder,  with  but  little  education,  who  is  yet  the  wonder  of 
the  world,  he  was  the  Christ,  in  his  simplicity,  his  kindliness 
and  his  humility.  The  beauty  of  his  life  has  shone  out  upon 
his  face  until  he  appears  to  be  what  he  truly  is — the  symbol 
of  the  Savior.  The  same  holds  true  with  the  other  actors. 
The  glory  of  the  world  has  never  entered  into  their  souls. 
They  live  beside  the  main  current  of  life  and  watch  it  sweep 
by,  unenvious. 

When  a  few  years  ago  an  enterprising  American  manager 
offered  to  deposit  $500,000  to  their  credit  in  a  bank  at  Munich 
if  they  would  accompany  him  to  America,  they  spurned  it  as 


200      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

an  insult  to  the  Christian  faith.  It  is  this  spirit  that  has 
caused  the  villagers  to  devote  the  proceeds  of  the  play  to  the 
school  and  road  building  funds,  and  it  is  this  spirit  that  has 
caused  the  Passion  music,  written  in  1802  by  Rochus  Dedler, 
school-master  of  Ober-Ammergau,  to  be  kept  a  secret  among 
the  performers  and  the  orchestra.  This  music  has  never  been 
published,  and  visitors  are  prohibited  from  taking  notes  during 
its  rendering. 

Most  effective  in  showing  the  spirit  of  the  actors  is  the 
method  of  conducting  rehearsals.  There  is  little  conducting 
and  little  need  for  any.  The  actors  read  their  lines  and  go 
through  their  actions  almost  by  intuition,  so  deeply  has  the 
spirit  of  Christ  entered  into  their  souls. 

Imagine  a  professional  rehearsal  with  no  direction  from 
the  stage  manager!  But  that  would  be  acting,  and  this  is — 
living. 

No  better  idea  of  the  effect  produced  by  the  play  has  been 
given  than  the  description  by  Clement  Scott,  the  eminent  Eng- 
lish critic,  of  the  procession  to  Golgotha : 

"At  last  it  comes,  this  heartrending  procession,  wending  its 
way  slowly  down  one  of  the  side  streets,  the  leading  of  Christ 
to  Golgotha.  I  have  never  seen  anything  nearly  so  striking 
in  arrangement  and  design.  Here  is  the  multitude  that  has 
exchanged  hosannas  for  execrations,  the  Roman  centurion  on 
horseback  carrying  the  standard  of  the  Roman  cohort;  here 
are  the  cruel  executioners,  in  scarlet,  ready  for  action;  here 
are  the  soldiers,  priests,  Jews  and  people  of  Jerusalem,  making 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  201 

up  a  mass  of  color  and  variety  that  words  fail  to  describe.  In 
the  center  of  all  is  the  pitiful-faced  Christ,  staggering  under 
the  weight  of  his  dreadful  cross,  thrust  on  by  the  executioners, 
buffeted  by  the  crowd,  broken  down  with  the  burden  of  his 
many  sorrows,  a  picture  with  which  we  are  all  familiar,  but 
here  in  complete  action,  no  one  point  of  the  story  being  neg- 
lected. Behind  him  are  the  thieves,  doomed  to  death,  drag- 
ging also  the  crosses  on  which  they  are  to  die.  Again  and 
again  the  central  figure  drops  beneath  his  cross  upon  the  cruel 
ground;  the  acting  is  so  good  and  unexaggerated,  the  scene 
is  so  absolutely  real  that  I  hear,  half-whispered  around  me, 
'This  is  too  dreadful,  I  cannot  bear  it.'  As  the  procession 
moves  slowly  on,  painfully  and  with  trying  halts,  we  are 
shown  the  episode  of  that  insult  that  doomed  a  man  to  wan- 
der forever  until  Christ's  time  had  come;  we  see  Simon  of 
Cyrene  forced  into  the  procession  to  bear  the  Savior's  cross, 
and  St.  Veronica  appears  and  presents  the  handkerchief  which 
will  presently  contain  the  features  of  the  tortured  sufferer. 
Nothing  is  forgotten,  and  the  procession  to  the  place  of  death 
is  closed  by  the  pathetic  wail  of  the  heartbroken  mother  who, 
attended  by  St.  John  and  Mary  Magdalene,  meets  from  an- 
other street  the  mournful  train  of  picturesque  sorrow." 

In  addition  to  the  composers  previously  mentioned,  I  had 
the  pleasure  at  divers  periods  while  in  Europe  of  meeting 
Franz  von  Suppe,  Edmond  Audran,  Carl  Millocker  and 
Charles  Lecocq. 


202       THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Franz  von  Suppe,  one  of  the  foremost  of  operetta  com- 
posers, I  met  for  the  first  time  in  Vienna  in  the  early  eighties, 
while  he  was  conducting  at  the  Carl  Theater  there.  He  oc- 
cupied a  modest  apartment  immediately  over  the  theater  and 
was  one  of  those  fat,  jolly,  good-natured  musicians  that  one 
would  easily  recognize  as  the  creator  of  the  popular  strains 
that  abound  in  his  "Fatinitza,"  "Bocaccio,"  "Afrikareise," 
"Donna  Juanita,"  and  "Das  Modell."  Von  Suppe  informed 
me  that  the  famous  March  Trio  in  "Fatinitza,"  known  and 
played  the  world  over,  was  injected  into  that  most  fascinating 
operetta  at  one  of  the  last  rehearsals,  with  Suppe's  own  predic- 
tion that  it  was  so  foreign  to  the  score  that  it  would  prove 
a  fiasco.  On  the  contrary,  however,  it  made  the  greatest  of 
hits  and  was  encored  and  encored  at  every  performance.  So, 
like  managers,  composers  cannot  always  judge  correctly;  it 
remains  for  the  public  to  decide. 

Edmond  Audran,  the  composer  of  "Olivette,"  "La  Mas- 
cotte,"  "La  Cigale,"  "Miss  Helyett"  and  "L'Oncle  Celestin," 
I  met  in  Paris  in  1890  during  one  of  my  annual  jaunts  and 
while  he  was  writing  the  last  named  operetta. 

Audran,  who  was  a  very  short  and  slightly  hunchbacked 
man,  took  great  pride  in  his  charming  home,  with  its  immense 
library,  bric-a-brac,  and  particularly  in  the  beautiful  painted 
ceiling  of  his  salon,  which  depicted  scenes  from  many  of  his 
popular  operettas. 

Carl  Millocker,  the  composer  of  "The  Beggar  Student," 
"The  Black  Hussar,"  "Poor  Jonathan,"  and  numerous  other 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  203 

popular  operettas,  was  also,  like  Johann  Strauss,  a  product 
of  Vienna,  where  I  met  him  while  he  was  composing,  "Poor 
Jonathan."  It  was  then  that  I  arranged  with  him  for  the 
production  of  that  most  delightful  work  at  the  Casino  in  New 
York. 

Millocker  was  a  thin,  lanky,  delicate  looking  man,  just  the 
opposite  of  von  Suppe,  and  upon  the  occasion  before  alluded 
to,  as  I  entered  his  workroom,  he  was  standing  at  a  raised 
writing  desk  in  the  act  of  orchestrating  "Poor  Jonathan." 
His  incessant  work  and  bad  health  soon  brought  his  cares  to 
an  end.  He  died  in  Baden  near  Vienna  December  3ist,  1899. 
During  the  last  years  of  his  life,  his  royalties  exceeded  fifty 
thousand  dollars  annually,  and  he  occupied  a  palatial  residence 
and  lived  in  princely  style. 

Charles  Lecocq,  the  prolific  composer,  who  counts  among  his 
works  "La  Fille  de  Madame  Angot,  "Les  Cent  Vierges," 
"Girofle-Girofla,"  "La  Petite  Mariee,"  "La  Marjolaine,"  "Le 
Petit  Due,"  and  "Le  grand  Casimir,"  I  met  in  Paris  in  1899 
— at  his  little  studio,  which  was  for  many  years,  on  the  third 
floor  of  the  old  music  publishing  house  of  Choudens  Pere  et 
Fils  on  the  corner  of  the  Boulevard  and  the  Rue  Caumartin. 

Lecocq  was  rather  stout  but  short  in  stature,  and  with  his 
glasses,  resembled  more  a  counsel lor-at-1  aw  than  a  composer, 
but  he  was  a  most  genial,  charming  man  and  a  musician  of  the 
first  rank.  His  attempt,  however,  at  a  higher  class  of  com- 
position in  the  production  of  "Plutus"  at  the  Opera  Comique 
in  Paris,  in  1886,  failed,  and  was  withdrawn  after  eight  per- 


204      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

formances,  but  most  of  his  other  works  became  universally 
popular. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Lecocq,  who  no  doubt  endeavored 
to  emulate  Jacques  Offenbach  in  the  latter's  supreme  desire 
to  present  at  least  one  of  his  works  at  the  Opera  Comique  in 
Paris,  failed,  while  Offenbach  succeeded,  when  in  1881  his 
"Les  Contes  d'Hoffman,"  saw  the  light,  although  finally  re- 
vised and  partly  orchestrated  by  the  composer  Guiraud.  This 
work  now  finds  a  place  in  the  repertoires  of  first  class  opera 
companies  all  over  the  world. 

During  my  many  visits  abroad,  I  had  occasion  to  witness 
operetta  or  musical  comedy  performances  in  Paris,  London, 
Berlin,  Vienna  and  other  Continental  cities,  and  I  unre- 
servedly assert  that  our  American  productions  are  in  the  main 
decidedly  superior. 

Our  American  chorus  girls  surpass  in  every  way,  they  are 
prettier,  more  vivacious,  always  ready  and  willing  to  work 
and  if  in  Paris  gowns  and  picture  hats  or  in  ballet  costumes 
and  tights,  they  present  a  most  charming  picture.  Indeed 
people  have  come  to  accept  a  beautiful  chorus  properly  cos- 
tumed as  a  matter  of  course,  just  as  they  expect  electric  lights 
in  the  theater  and  women  with  their  hats  off. 

In  many  instances  the  management  furnishes  everything 
that  is  worn  by  the  chorus,  not  only  are  the  gowns,  hats  and 
shoes  furnished,  but  the  silk  stockings  that  match  the  shoes, 
the  parasols,  fans  and  the  lingerie.  In  many  companies  now, 
the  management  attends  to  the  cleaning  of  the  gowns,  gloves 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  205 

and  shoes,  and  to  replacing  each  article,  as  it  is  required. 

Dressing  the  chorus  is  an  expensive  proposition  and  re- 
quires thought  and  study  as  well  as  workmanship.  Every- 
thing except  the  shoes  is  made  at  the  big  establishment  of  a 
regular  theatrical  costumer.  These  costume  houses  employ 
high-priced  designers  who  choose  materials  and  styles  to  suit 
the  individual  chorus  girl,  just  as  far  as  the  exigencies  of  the 
piece  permit.  I  am  referring  to  the  average  modern  musical 
play  in  which  show  girls  and  chorus  girls  wear  artistic  crea- 
tions of  the  mode  of  the  moment,  sometimes  exaggerated  a 
little  for  the  picturesque  effects,  but  never  achieving  the  pic- 
turesqueness  at  the  expense  of  the  very  up-to-date  smartness. 
This  same  attention  is  displayed  as  regards  scenery,  properties 
and  appointments. 

I  insisted  thirty  years  ago,  when  "The  Queen's  Lace  Hand- 
kerchief" was  first  presented  at  the  Casino,  that  the  principals 
must  be  the  best  procurable,  that  the  chorus  be  made  up  of 
the  prettiest  girls  with  good  voices,  the  scenery  to  be  painted 
by  the  best  New  York  artists  and  the  costumes  be  manufac- 
tured by  a  first-class  concern  after  most  artistic  designs,  and 
that  the  orchestra  number  thirty  selected  musicians;  and  thus 
with  such  an  ensemble  was  started  a  new  school  of  operetta, 
which  has  developed  into  the  present-day  more  sumptuous 
and  costly  productions,  for  which  the  managers  deserve  all 
credit. 

Most  of  the  theater  folk  who  sit  back  in  their  comfortable 
orchestra  chairs  will  not  give  a  thought  to  the  hardships  and 


206      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

heartaches  that  the  selection  of  chorus  girls  for  operetta  and 
musical  comedy  productions  entails. 

The  New  York  Casino  during  its  palmy  days  was  the  mecca 
for  chorus  girls  and  yet  desirable  ones  were  difficult  to  find. 
I  would  request  my  stage  director  to  issue  a  general  call 
through  the  various  agencies  and  through  the  newspapers  for 
an  assembly  of  applicants  on  a  specified  date.  A  large  crowd 
was  sure  to  be  on  hand  on  the  day  appointed.  Many  of  them, 
no  doubt,  had  been  responding  to  these  calls  regularly  for  years, 
hoping  against  hope  that  one  day  the  emergency  would  be 
overlooked.  More  than  one  hundred  applicants  appeared  and 
at  a  glance  the  stage  director  dispensed  with  one  half  of  them; 
the  remainder  were  asked  to  go  through  that  awful  ordeal  of 
having  their  voices  tried. 

At  the  piano  sat  the  musical  director.  One  after  another  of 
the  young  women  was  ordered  to  stand  by  his  side  and  "run 
the  scale."  Most  of  them  were  too  frightened  to  make  the 
attempt,  and  many  of  them  as  they  stood  pale  and  trembling 
could  not  emit  a  sound.  Several  with  voices  true  enough, 
under  favorable  conditions,  sang  off  the  key  and  a  few 
bolted  through  the  stage  door  when  their  turn  for  the  test 
arrived. 

Eventually,  however,  the  requisite  number  of  chorus  girls 
was  obtained.  The  alert  stage  and  musical  directors  always 
hastened  to  give  a  hearing  to  those  possessing  the  physical  re- 
quirements. Indeed  picking  a  chorus  is  one  of  the  most 
troublesome  phases  of  operetta  or  musical  comedy  production, 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  207 

but  the  Casino  generally  got  its  quota  of  pretty  and  shapely 
girls  who  could  sing  and  dance. 

At  the  present  time  selections  for  chorus  material  are  gener- 
ally made  in  July  and  August.  Managers  who  deal  exten- 
sively in  musical  productions  such  as  the  Shuberts,  Klaw  & 
Erlanger,  Charles  Frohman,  Florenz  Ziegfeld,  Jr.,  Werba  and 
Luescher,  Charles  Dillingham,  Cohan  and  Harris,  A.  H. 
Woods,  George  W.  Lederer,  Joseph  Gaites,  John  Cort  and 
Weber  and  Fields,  require  at  the  beginning  of  each  season 
from  fifty  to  three  hundred  chorus  girls  each,  willing  to  go 
through  an  ordeal  of  six  weeks'  rehearsals  in  the  hottest  weather 
gratis,  for  the  purpose  of  earning  from  eighteen  to  twenty-five 
dollars  a  week,  when  the  production  is  finally  launched. 

To  the  chorus  girl,  the  college  town  offers  promise  of  at 
least  one  good  time  in  the  dreary  stretch  of  one  night  stand 
life.  Some  college  boys  are  rapidly  becoming  factors  in  mi- 
gratory theatrical  life.  It  is  they  that  take  on  the  road  the 
place  of  the  city  stage  door  Johnnies  and  but  for  their  kindly 
offices,  the  life  of  a  chorus  girl  in  a  company  playing  the 
provinces  would  lack  much  of  its  glamour. 

The  reason  for  the  college  youth's  labors  in  this  direction 
may  be  set  down  to  the  fact  that,  being  removed  from  all  the 
girls  of  his  acquaintance  in  his  home  city  and  being  held  a  com- 
parative prisoner  within  the  campus  town,  he  must  gratify  his 
desire  for  feminine  company  somewhere ;  and  that  somewhere, 
by  the  well-known  and  ubiquitous  process  of  elimination,  is 
the  chorus  girl;  the  girl  residents  in  a  college  town,  be  it 


208      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

known  being  neither  Maxine  Elliotts  nor  Lillian  Russells  in 
the  matter  of  expected  standards  of  beauty.  Mixed  with  this 
predilection  for  feminine  company,  there  is,  too,  always  a  dis- 
tinct taste  for  "rough  house"  of  some  form  or  other,  but  this 
"rough  house"  is  usually  of  an  innocent  order  and  rarely  as- 
sumes any  more  serious  aspect  than  an  overturned  lunch-wagon 
or  an  attempt  to  demolish  the  head-waiter,  both  of  which  feats 
are  ventured  for  winning  the  approbation  of  the  chorus  girls  on 
hand  at  the  moment.  "You  college  boys  are  so  Sandow-like" 
is  the  greatest  chorus-girl  compliment  in  the  ears  of  an  under- 
graduate, and  its  sound  is  as  sweet  as  attar  of  roses,  a  monthly 
allowance  check,  or  maple  sugar. 

In  the  way  of  big  chorus  girls  "stunt"  parties,  one  that  tran- 
spired several  years  ago  deserves  to  take  its  place  among  the 
leaders.  The  musical  show  containing  the  belles  whom  the 
undergraduates  wished  to  entertain  was  one  of  considerable 
size.  The  girls'  section  of  the  chorus,  numbering  forty,  were 
sent  handsomely  engraved  invitations  by  the  undergraduates 
who  were  planning  the  order  of  the  festivities.  The  invita- 
tions read  like  this : 

"You  are  not  invited  to  our  party — nothing  like 
that !  A  mere  invitation  would  not  be  enough. — You 
are  commanded  to  appear  after  Saturday  night's  per- 
formance. 

"THE  KING  OF  KILLTIME." 

The  "invitations"  were  of  course  addressed  to  the  girls  per- 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  209 

sonally,  the  mailing  list  having  been  prepared  for  the  college 
boys  by  three  chorus  girls  whom  they  knew  and  who  helped 
them  materially  in  the  preliminary  success  of  the  event. 
Every  one  of  the  invitations  was  accepted  and  on  Saturday 
night  after  the  performance,  eight  large  automobiles  decorated 
with  Chinese  lanterns  (each  illuminated  with  a  papier  mache 
bottle  of  champagne)  were  lined  up  at  the  stage  entrance. 
When  the  fair  cargoes  had  been  placed  aboard,  the  gasoline 
parade  moved  in  the  direction  of  a  farm  house  in  the  far  out- 
skirts of  the  town  that  had  been  rented  in  to  to  for  the  occasion, 
farmer  husband,  farmer  wife,  farmer  sister-in-law,  family  dog 
and  all.  When  the  motor  parties  arrived  on  the  scene,  the 
girls  found,  instead  of  the  lobster  and  terrapin  they  expected, 
a  typical  farm  dinner  awaiting  them.  The  dinner  was  "set" 
in  the  four  rooms  on  the  first  floor,  parlor,  dining-room, 
sewing-room  and  kitchen,  and  was  served  by  the  farmer,  his 
wife  and  the  latter's  sister.  Overalls  were  donned  by  the 
students,  and  gingham  aprons  and  sunbonnets  by  the  girls. 
Champagne  was  served  in  huge  cider  glasses.  After  the  din- 
ner, a  barn  dance  was  held  in  the  big  barn  back  of  the  house, 
and  when  the  party  broke  up,  each  of  the  girl  guests  was  pre- 
sented with  a  "mortgage"  as  a  souvenir  of  the  event.  The 
"mortgage"  was  a  legal  looking  affair  and  was  to  be  foreclosed 
"the  next  time  you  play  the  town." 

Some  years  ago  after  I  had  produced  "Cavalleria  Rusticana" 
in  New  York,  I  accompanied  Jaroslav  Kocian,  the  violin  vir- 
tuoso, on  his  professional  tour  in  California,  and  one  afternoon 


210      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

while  lunching  at  a  restaurant  in  San  Francisco  I  met 
Mascagni,  who  about  that  time  was  directing  some  operatic 
concerts  there.  While  I  was  conversing  with  the  maestro  his 
attention  was  arrested  by  the  strains  of  the  famous  intermezzo 
from  his  opera  "Cavalleria  Rusticana"  rendered  upon  a  street 
piano.  As  might  be  expected,  his  impulsive  artistic  tempera- 
ment prompted  him  to  rush  to  the  street,  brush  the  astonished 
grinder  aside,  seize  the  crank  of  the  piano  and  demonstrate  the 
tempo  which  he  considered  proper  for  his  immortal  intermezzo. 
Mascagni  then  disclosed  his  identity.  His  humble  countryman 
was  almost  speechless  with  delight  and  admiration.  Having 
imbibed  something  of  the  Yankee  spirit,  the  organ  grinder 
was  not  slow  to  profit  by  this  experience  and  appeared  on  the 
street  the  next  day,  his  piano  adorned  with  a  placard  bearing 
the  legend:  "Pupil  of  Pietro  Mascagni." 

In  June  1890  I  had  the  honor  of  attending  with  Mr.  N. 
Vert  in  London,  the  State  Concert  at  Buckingham  Palace, 
when  Madame  Emma  Albani,  Zelie  de  Lussan,  Edouard  de 
Reszke  and  Edward  Lloyd  and  a  grand  orchestra  participated. 
The  entrance  of  Their  Royal  Highnesses  the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales  (afterwards  King  Edward  VII  and  Queen 
Alexandra)  followed  by  the  nobility  of  all  England,  was  the 
most  impressively  beautiful  scene  that  I  ever  witnessed.  The 
famous  gold  service  was  used  for  the  supper  that  followed 
the  concert. 

About  the  time  that  Miss  Loie  Fuller  made  her  debut  in 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  211 

the  Serpentine  Dance  with  my  company  in  "Uncle  Celestin" 
at  the  Casino,  I  called  on  Miss  Isadora  Duncan,  who  with  her 
mother  occupied  a  little  studio  at  Carnegie  Hall  in  New  York, 
and  she  outlined  to  me  her  plan  of  presenting  the  classic 
Grecian  dances.  I  suggested  the  intermingling  with  them 
of  the  Japanese  and  Indian,  and  at  the  same  time  I  played 
for  her  some  characteristic  numbers  that  I  had  written,  but 
she  would  not  be  swayed  from  her  original  idea.  When  in 
after  years  I  saw  her  performance  with  the  accompaniment  of 
quaint,  ancient  instruments  at  the  Theatre  Sarah  Bernhardt  in 
Paris,  and  later  in  Berlin,  I  felt  convinced,  that  she  had  hit 
upon  the  proper  plan.  The  haute  noblesse  of  Berlin  took 
great  interest  in  Miss  Duncan's  project  and  her  numerous 
pupils  included  the  daughters  of  the  best  families. 

During  a  later  visit  in  Berlin,  the  correspondent  of  the 
New  York  Musical  Courier,  Mr.  Arthur  Abell,  spoke  to  me 
most  flatteringly  of  a  young  American  girl,  a  Miss  Maud 
Allan,  who  was  devoting  her  time  to  study  of  classic  dancing. 
An  audition  was  speedily  fixed  and  Miss  Allan  with  piano  ac- 
companiment danced  Chopin's  Funeral  March,  Mendelssohn's 
Spring  Song  and  Schumann's  Reverie.  I  thereupon  suggested, 
that  the  introduction  of  color  would  enhance  the  charm  of  her 
really  artistic  interpretations.  Inasmuch  as  I  was  about  leav- 
ing for  London,  Miss  Allan  provided  me  with  a  number  of 
her  photographs,  description  of  her  dances,  etc.,  and  suggested 
that  perhaps  I  might  be  able  to  procure  her  an  engagement 
in  the  English  metropolis.  Immediately  after  arriving  there 


212      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

I  put  myself  in  touch  with  the  managers,  who  one  and  all 
declined,  for  the  reason  that  bare  foot  and  bare  legged  danc- 
ing would  not  be  tolerated !  Strange  to  record,  however,  that 
a  year  or  two  after — when  Richard  Strauss  electrified  the  world 
with  his  wonderful  Salome — this  same  Maud  Allan,  hit  upon 
the  idea  of  presenting  a  "Salome"  dance,  and  so  successful 
was  she,  that  London  managers  outbid  one  another  for  her 
services  and  for  several  years  she  has  been  fairly  idolized. 

On  my  return  to  New  York  Miss  Ruth  St  Denis  submitted 
to  me  her  idea  of  a  Hindu  dance  she  had  in  contemplation, 
but  my  engagements  were  such  that  I  could  not  take  her 
management  at  that  time.  Her  dance,  however,  was  shortly 
afterwards  presented  in  Proctor's  Theater  on  23d  Street  and 
the  late  Henry  B.  Harris  then  took  it  in  hand  and  made  it 
an  artistic  and  financial  success. 

In  1910  while  in  New  York  my  attention  was  called  to 
Mile.  Thamara  de  Swirsky,  who  with  Mile.  Anna  Pavlowa, 
were  the  favorite  pupils  of  the  famous  maitre  de  ballet,  M. 
Ivan  Claustine  of  St.  Petersburg.  Mile,  de  Swirsky  comes 
from  a  noble  old  Russian  family.  Her  father  is  a  celebrated 
pianist  and  her  sister  a  successful  sculptor  in  Paris.  During 
her  childhood  Mile,  de  Swirsky  showed  great  talent  for  danc- 
ing, but  on  account  of  the  high  social  position  of  the  family, 
her  parents  did  not  wish  her  to  become  a  professional  dancer. 
As  a  child  she  was  also  very  fond  of  music  and  it  was  in  this 
direction  that  her  artistic  talent  was  developed.  She  received 
a  medal  at  the  Paris  Conservatoire  and  finished  her  studies 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  213 

with  brilliant  success  in  Munich.  Afterwards  Mile,  de 
Swirsky  was  invited  by  Herr  Felix  Mottl  to  take  part  in  the 
Symphony  Concerts  in  Munich,  where  she  played  the  Grieg 
Concerto  assisted  by  the  orchestra. 

Mile,  de  Swirsky  possesses  a  masculine  strength  and  light- 
ness of  touch  that  make  her  playing  remarkable.  Naturally 
her  dancing  has  the  same  artistic  character  as  is  marked  by 
great  expression  of  sentiment  and  temperament,  portrayed 
especially  in  her  Greek,  Oriental  and  Slav  dances.  She  has 
appeared  before  the  elite  of  Paris,  including  Baroness  de  Roths- 
child, Baron  de  Stall,  etc.,  and  on  one  occasion,  the  celebrated 
sculptor,  Prince  Troubetzskoy,  who  was  present,  admired  her 
dancing  to  such  an  extent,  that  he  asked  to  make  a  statue  of 
her.  A  dancing  pose  in  Oriental  costume  sculptured  by  the 
Prince  has  been  purchased  by  and  is  now  exhibited  in  the 
Chicago  Museum. 

I  was  much  impressed  with  the  talent  and  personality  of 
Mile,  de  Swirsky,  and  a  contract  was  entered  into  under  which 
I  was  to  act  as  her  sole  manager.  Artistic  draperies  and  cur- 
tains of  a  greenish  hue  were  selected,  together  with  appropriate 
furnishings  and  a  grand  piano;  the  Berkeley  Lyceum  in  New 
York  was  engaged  for  rehearsals,  and  one  morning  when  all 
was  in  readiness  I  invited  a  number  of  managers,  with  a  view 
to  placing  her  Musical  Ballet  Sketch  entitled  "Tanagra"  in 
the  principal  vaudeville  theaters  and  to  my  astonishment  and 
regret  I  learned  from  them  that  the  very  same  act  had  been 
improperly  presented  some  weeks  before  and  was  declined! 


214      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

I  reasoned  with  the  managers,  to  reconsider,  but  with  no  suc- 
cess. Mile,  de  Swirsky  afterwards  went  on  tour  in  this  coun- 
try and  then  to  Europe,  where  her  unusually  artistic  accom- 
plishments should  meet  the  approval  of  the  public. 

Since  1900  I  have  endeavored  to  arrange  for  the  appear- 
ance of  Herr  Siegfried  Wagner  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  and  only  recently  has  he  consented  to  make  the 
journey  provided  certain  conditions  are  complied  with. 

I  attended  the  first  Siegfried  Wagner  Concert  at  the  Theatre 
du  Chatelet  in  Paris  in  1900,  when  the  young  conductor 
faced  a  most  critical  audience.  The  program  began  with 
the  overture  to  his  own  opera  "Barenhauter,"  which  was  nerv- 
ously conducted,  but  in  the  succeeding  numbers  "The  Flying 
Dutchman"  and  "Meistersinger"  Overtures  and  Siegfried's 
Death  March  from  "Die  Gotterdammerung,"  he  fairly  outdid 
himself  and  elicited  well  merited  applause.  At  that  time  I 
made  him  an  offer  for  the  season  1902-1903,  but  previous  en- 
gagements prevented  his  acceptance.  In  1904  I  again  sug- 
gested an  American  tour  and  met  him  in  Bayreuth,  where  he 
was  busy  with  rehearsals  at  the  Festspielhaus.  He  invited 
me  to  call  on  him  at  eight  o'clock  the  following  morning  at 
Wahnfried,  his  residence.  I  was  on  hand  at  that  early  hour 
and  Herr  Wagner  then  expressed  himself  as  thoroughly  dis- 
pleased with  the  action  of  Mr.  Conried  in  having  presented 
"Parsifal"  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  New  York.  I 
explained  to  him  that  the  sympathy  of  the  whole  musical 


MORE  RECOLLECTIONS  215 

world  was  with  the  Wagners  in  that  unfortunate  affair,  despite 
all  the  exaggerations  they  might  have  read,  but  he  again  de- 
clined, saying:  "Perhaps  at  some  future  time  I  shall  visit 
America." 

A  few  years  later  I  again  visited  Bayreuth  only  to  learn 
that  Siegfried  Wagner  had  journeyed  with  the  family  to 
Lucerne.  I  took  the  first  train  for  that  city  and  called  at 
the  Wagner  villa,  where  I  was  informed  by  the  daughter  of 
Madame  Cosima  Wagner  (Madame  Cosima  was  ill  at  the 
time)  that  Siegfried  had  left  for  Italy  en  route  to  Munich, 
where  he  ought  to  turn  up  within  a  few  days.  I  went  to 
Munich  and  finally  met  Herr  Wagner  there,  and  again,  be- 
cause he  was  absorbed  in  his  own  operatic  work,  he  declined 
my  proposal,  so  I  waited  until  1911.  While  in  Paris,  I 
chanced  to  meet  him  at  the  Hotel  Scribe  just  as  he  was  pre- 
paring to  attend  a  special  performance  at  the  grand  opera 
of  Richard  Wagner's  "Die  Walkiire"  (in  French)  in  his 
(Siegfried's)  honor,  and  he  requested  me  to  call  on  him  the 
following  morning  at  eight  o'clock  to  talk  over  matters  (eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  seemed  to  be  Wagner's  most  convenient 
hour).  I  called  at  the  appointed  time  and  it  was  not  long 
before  we  fixed  upon  a  provisional  contract.  This  story  il- 
lustrates somewhat  the  difficulties  a  manager  has  to  contend 
with  at  times  in  procuring  a  celebrity. 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY 


CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY 

The  Evolution  of  Musical  and  Dramatic  Enterprises — Moving 
Picture  Shows — Overproduction  and  Superfluous  The- 
aters— The  "Star"  System  and  Present-day  Productions  as 
Compared  with  Those  of  the  Past — Various  "Schools"  of 
Operetta — The  Press  Agent  and  His  Ingenuity. 

THE  evolution  of  musical  and  dramatic  enterprises  in 
the  past  forty  years  is,  to  my  mind,  as  distinct  as  the 
evolution  in  commercial  and  other  pursuits. 
The  advent  of  Lydia  Thompson  and  her  bevy  of  English 
beauties  including  Pauline  Markham,  Eliza  Weathersby,  Ada 
Harland,  Rose  Massey  and  that  sterling  comedian,  Harry 
Beckett,  in  their  presentation  of  a  burlesque  entitled  "Ixion" 
at  Wood's  Museum  (present  site  of  Daly's  Theater,  Broadway 
and  3oth  Street)  in  the  early  seventies  made  the  jeunesse  dore 
of  theater-goers  sit  up  and  was  the  forerunner  of  a  number  of 
burlesque  shows  that  followed  suit.  Then  came  the  opera- 
bouffe  period  with  the  diminutive  Tostee  at  the  little  French 
Theater  on  14th  Street  near  Sixth  Avenue,  where  she  presented 
"The  Grand  Duchess"  and  other  Offenbach  pieces;  and  almost 
immediately  after  Montaland  and  Aujac  in  a  season  compris- 
ing the  works  of  that  same  composer  at  the  Grand  Opera 

219 


220      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

House,  New  York,  followed  by  the  fascinating  Marie  Aimee,, 
who  captivated  for  many  years  her  audiences  in  the  works  of 
not  only  Offenbach  but  those  of  Lecocq,  Vasseur,  Herve  and 
Audran.  Almost  at  the  same  period  Maurice  Grau  presented 
his  excellent  company  of  opera-bouffers  including  Paola  Marie 
(sister  of  Galli  Marie,  original  creatrice  of  Carmen  in  Paris) 
Tauffenberger,  Vauthier,  Mezieres  and  later  on  Theo,  Angele, 
Nixau  and  Capoul,  who  performed  in  New  York  and  toured 
the  country  with  much  success. 

About  the  period  of  the  opera-bouffe  invasion  in  New  York, 
Dion  Boucicault  was  presenting  at  the  old  Wallack's  Theater 
(then  at  13th  Street  and  Broadway)  "The  Shaughran,"  one 
of  his  most  popular  plays,  with  Harry  Montague,  a  fine  look- 
ing young  fellow,  who  became  a  veritable  "Matinee  idol." 
It  was  Boucicault  who  christened  14th  Street  and  Broadway 
the  original  "Rialto,"  which  became  such  a  feature  of  Metro- 
politan life  that  the  belles  of  the  then  smart  Fifth  Avenue 
residence  section  began  to  include  the  Rialto  in  their  daily 
promenades. 

But  one  manager  in  New  York  was  ever  known  to  object 
to  the  Rialto  as  a  rendezvous  for  the  members  of  his  com- 
pany. All  the  others  regarded  it  in  the  sense  of  a  paying  ad- 
vertisement for  their  houses  and  their  people.  Seeing  the 
actors  and  actresses  on  the  street  only  whetted  the  appetite  of 
the  paying  public  to  see  them  in  favorite  roles  on  the  stage. 
Augustin  Daly  took  an  opposite  view  of  the  matter.  He 
claimed  that  the  promenade  on  the  Rialto  cheapened  the  value 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    221 

of  his  people,  reducing  the  fascination  of  the  stage  by  bring- 
ing them  face  to  face  in  a  prosy  manner  with  the  public  who 
paid  its  money  to  see  them  surrounded  by  all  the  allurements 
of  the  stage. 

The  famous  old  Rialto  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  There  is 
now  what  is  called  the  "New  Rialto,"  which  extends  up 
Broadway  from  the  Casino  at  39th  Street  to  the  Columbia 
Theater  at  47th  Street.  The  glories  of  the  old  "Rialto"  have 
gone  forever.  They  will  be  remembered  with  pleasure  by  the 
old  players  and  old  playgoers,  but  to  the  present  generation 
they  are  simply  ancient  history  interesting  only  as  a  character- 
istic of  the  old-time  Metropolitan  stage. 

Reverting  back  to  the  opera-bouffe  attractions  previously 
mentioned  I  recall  that  the  casts  were  generally  good  but  the 
choruses,  the  scenery,  the  costumes,  other  accoutrements  and 
orchestra  were  decidedly  the  reverse. 

In  the  early  eighties,  with  the  inauguration  of  the  Casino  I 
insisted  upon  a  production  that  should  combine  a  first-class 
cast,  a  good  looking  and  vivacious  chorus,  a  complete  orchestra, 
appropriate  scenery,  costumes  and  properties  resultant  in  the 
presentation  of  Johann  Strauss'  "The  Queen's  Lace  Handker- 
chief" and  thus  establishing  the  popularity  and  vogue  for 
many  years  in  America  of  operetta  by  Austrian  composers  and 
the  performances  of  not  only  the  works  of  Strauss,  but  those 
of  Suppe,  Millocker,  Czibulka,  presented  by  the  McCaull,  the 
J.  C.  Duff,  the  Henry  W.  Savage,  the  F.  C.  Whitney,  the  Am- 
berg  and  the  Conried  Opera  Companies.  At  this  same  period 


222       THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

the  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  creations  were  also  the  rage  and  they 
continued  the  rage,  although  the  public  had  somewhat  tired 
of  Viennese  operetta. 

In  1886  with  my  presentation  of  "Erminie"  by  Edward 
Jakobowski,  who  although  Austrian  by  birth  had  lived  in  Eng- 
land during  most  of  his  career,  there  was  instituted  a  period  of 
a  lighter  class  of  works,  which  took  the  fancy  of  the  American 
public  and  for  the  following  ten  years  the  operettas  of  Chas- 
saigne,  Solomon,  Lacome,  Jones,  De  Koven,  Herbert,  Eng- 
lander,  Luders  and  Kerker  held  the  boards ;  then  with  the  ad- 
vent of  Leslie  Stuart's  "Florodora"  the  era  of  musical  comedy 
set  in  and  continued  for  many  years.  It  was  no  doubt  on  that 
account  that  during  my  presentation  in  1900  of  Johann 
Strauss'  posthumous  operetta,  entitled  "Vienna  Life" 
("Wiener  Blut"),  at  the  Broadway  Theater,  New  York — al- 
though the  production  was  magnificent  and  the  cast  included 
Raymond  Hitchcock,  Ethel  Jackson  and  Amelia  Stone — 
the  theater-going  public  kept  steadily  away,  having  been 
inoculated  with  musical  comedy  and  rag-time  and  prefer- 
ring that  class  of  entertainment  to  the  old-time  Viennese 
operetta. 

A  short  time  after  my  "Vienna  Life"  experience  I  visited 
Berlin,  heard  Lehar's  "Die  Lustige  Wittwe"  ("The  Merry 
Widow")  and  wrote  to  a  prominent  New  York  manager, 
praising  that  opera  and  stating  that  with  some  slight  changes 
it  ought  to  make  a  hit  in  America,  when  to  my  surprise  the 
aforesaid  manager  informed  me  that  he  didn't  want  any  more 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    223 

Dutch  operas !  This  "Dutch"  opera  was  later  produced  by 
George  Edwardes  in  London  and  then  was  captured  by  Henry 
W.  Savage  for  America  and  proved  not  only  one  of  the  great- 
est successes  in  modern  times,  but  was  again  the  forerunner 
of  the  wants  of  the  public  and  this  line  of  Austro-German 
operetta  is  still  in  vogue,  as  is  evidenced  by  the  success  of 
Oscar  Strauss'  "A  Waltz  Dream"  and  the  "Chocolate  Soldier," 
Dr.  Leo  Fall's  "Dollar  Princess"  and  "The  Siren"  and  Lehafs 
"Gypsy  Love"  and  the  "Count  of  Luxembourg." 

I  have  no  hesitation  in  asserting  that  the  casts  selected  for 
operetta  presentations  in  the  eighties  and  nineties  were  de- 
cidedly superior  to  those  in  the  years  following,  for  the  reason 
perhaps,  of  the  marked  invasion  of  vaudeville  by  the  better 
class  of  operetta  artists,  where  the  duties  are  not  quite  so  ardu- 
ous and  the  salaries  higher.  Another  reason,  too,  was  because 
there  were  many  managers  in  the  field,  all  striving  for  the  best 
material  to  fill  the  various  parts  and  the  competition  was  keen, 
but  it  all  redounded  to  the  advantage  of  the  public.  On  the 
other  hand  the  present-day  operetta  productions  surpass  in 
every  way,  so  far  as  sumptuousness  of  costumes  and  scenery 
are  concerned,  the  old-timers;  and  yet  when  the  Messrs.  Shu- 
bert  recently  revived  "The  Mikado,"  "Pinafore,"  and  "Die 
Fledermaus"  (the  latter  under  a  new  title  "The  Merry  Coun- 
tess") at  the  Casino,  those  popular  operettas  have  played  and 
the  last  is  playing  to  more  than  double  its  original  receipts  of 
twenty-five  years  ago  at  the  same  old  stand,  the  Casino;  evi- 
dencing that  the  revivals  of  a  dozen  of  the  most  successful  of 


224       THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

old-time  Casino  productions  would  now  be  received  with  open 
arms  by  light  opera  lovers. 

The  cost  of  the  present-day  first  class  operetta  production 
will  average  from  $15,000  to  $40,000,  entirely  out  of  propor- 
tion to  the  cost  in  former  times,  hence  I  consider  the  present 
two-dollar  orchestra  seat  as  more  reasonable  than  the  one  and 
one-half  dollar  seat,  fixed  as  the  price  during  my  long  regime 
at  the  Casino. 

Precisely  the  same  difference  as  recorded  above  relative  to 
musical  productions,  I  find  in  the  dramatic  performances  of  the 
past  compared  with  those  of  the  present,  owing  perhaps  to  a 
very  great  extent  to  the  introduction  of  the  "star"  system.  To 
those  who  remember  the  excellence,  the  completeness  of  the 
Wallack,  the  Daly,  the  Palmer,  and  the  Frohman  companies 
of  the  past,  the  difference  is  at  once  discernible. 

Managers  are  obliged  to  follow  the  trend  of  the  theater- 
going public,  however,  who  seem  to  idolize  an  actor  or  actress 
who  has  achieved  popularity,  the  playwright  is  then  swayed 
by  the  situation  and  writes  accordingly,  resultant  is  a  cast  of 
characters  not  as  strong  as  that  required  in  plays  of  former 
generations.  On  the  other  hand,  a  play  is  so  original  and  great 
that  it  will  "go  over"  without  more  than  an  ordinary  company, 
and  again  the  master  hand  of  a  David  Belasco  will  take  plays, 
even  of  mediocre  construction  and  not  only  mould  them,  but 
the  leading  artists  into  phenomenal  success. 

Another  reason  why  the  principals  in  casts  of  present  oper- 
etta and  musical  comedy  performances  are  not  equal  to  those 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    225 

in  performances  of  former  years  is  because  of  the  rapid  in- 
crease of  grand  opera. 

Besides  the  Metropolitan  in  New  York,  the  Chicago, 
Philadelphia  and  the  Boston  companies  offer  opportunities  for 
young,  fresh  voices,  and  Germany,  France,  Italy  and  England, 
too,  have  found  places  for  worthy  American  singers.  To- 
day American  singers  have  triumphed  in  grand  opera.  Their 
natural  voices  are  excelled  by  none,  their  musical  intelligence, 
artistic  capacity,  dramatic  talent  and  personalities  are  of  the 
very  highest  quality. 

This  triumph  has  come  within  the  last  few  years.  Little 
more  than  a  decade  ago  its  beginning  was  represented  in  the 
demonstrated  capacities  of  one  or  two  gifted  vocalists.  At  the 
present  time  every  first-class  operatic  organization,  either  here 
or  abroad,  included  among  its  leading  singers  men  and  women 
from  various  states  of  the  Union— of  which  the  following  is 
a  partial  list: 

Lillian  Nordica,  Emma  Eames,  Mary  Garden,  Olive  Frem- 
stad,  Geraldine  Farrar,  Bessie  Abbot,  Alice  Neilsen,  Edyth 
Walker,  Marie  Rappold,  D'Alma  Chandler,  Bernice  de  Pas- 
quali,  Felice  Lyne,  Rita  Fornia,  Alma  Gluck,  Jane  Osborn 
Hannah,  Caroline  White,  Marie  Cavan,  May  Scheider,  Min- 
nie Saltzman  Stevens,  Agnes  Berry,  Charlotte  Guernsey, 
Rachel  Frease-Green,  Louise  Homer,  Florence  Wickham,  Jose- 
phine Jacoby,  Madame  Jomelli,  Kathleen  Howard,  Mariska 
Aldrich,  Henrietta  Wakefield,  Lillia  Snelling,  Lucy  Gates, 
Eleanor  de  Cisneros,  Bessie  Ingram,  Jeska  Swartz,  Bernice 


226      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

Fisher,  Lucille  Marcel,  Anna  Case,  Florence  Decourcey,  Min- 
nie Tracey,  Emma  Juch,  Mabel  Riegelman,  Florence  Rose, 
Helen  Allyn,  Jeanette  Allen,  Helen  Wetmore,  Alice  Souver- 
eign,  Mme.  Charles  Cahier,  Ada  Saverni,  Isabella  Trasker, 
Marcella  Craft,  Kate  Rolla,  Marcia  Van  Dresser,  Maud  Fay, 
Yvonne  de  Treville,  Marguerite  Lemon,  Bella  Applegate, 
Gertrude  Rennyson,  Loretta  Tannert,  Giulia  Strakosch,  Alys 
Lorraine,  Emma  Hoffmann,  Norma  Romana,  Mignon  Nevada; 
Ricardo  Martin,  Orville  Harold,  Herbert  Witherspoon,  Put- 
nam Griswold,  Lambert  Murphy,  Clarence  Whitehill,  Allan 
Hinckley,  Henri  Scott,  William  Hinshaw,  Basil  Ruysdael, 
Ellison  Van  Hoose,  George  Hamlin,  Frank  Preisch,  Rafaelo 
Diaz,  Edward  Lankow,  Robert  Blass,  Robert  Kent  Parder, 
Arthur  Philips,  Sydney  Segal,  William  Picaver,  Harry  Wei- 
don. 

In  former  years  when  serious  opera  opportunities  were 
not  available,  aspirants  after  completing  their  studies  would 
seek  out  the  best  comic  opera  or  operetta  companies  and 
therefore  the  casts  were  of  a  better  calibre  than  those  -at 
present. 

It  is  remarkable,  too,  that  once  an  artist  becomes  aligned  to 
grand  opera,  he  or  she  is  not  (except  in  very  rare  cases)  fitted 
for  comic  opera,  operetta  or  musical  comedy.  The  artist 
seems  to  be  imbued  with  the  broadness,  the  grandeur  of  the 
former,  contrasted  with  the  lightness  and  vivacity  of  the  latter. 
An  exception  to  this  rule  is  the  case  of  Miss  Fritzi  Scheff,  who 
sang  at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  before  entering  the 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY     227 

field  of  operetta  and  making  a  success  in  "Babette,"  "Mile. 
Modiste,"  and  other  light  musical  plays. 

Away  back  in  the  late  sixties  I  remember  as  a  boy  I  at- 
tended two  or  three  performances  of  the  widely  heralded 
"Black  Crook"  at  Niblo's  Garden  (at  Broadway  and  Prince 
Street,  New  York).  It  was  the  most  spectacular  show  of  the 
period,  and  its  magnificent  ballets  with  Bonfanti,  Sangali, 
Betty  Rigl  and  its  Amazonian  march,  transformation  scene, 
with  playing  fountains  and  illuminated  palace,  will  never  be 
eradicated  from  my  memory.  A  certain  portion  of  the  clergy 
of  New  York  took  exception  to  the  "Black  Crook"  and  en- 
deavored to  invoke  the  law,  looking  towards  its  suppression. 
They  did  not  succeed,  however,  and  only  helped  to  stimulate 
public  interest,  so  much  so,  that  that  show  ran  on  for  hundreds 
upon  hundreds  of  nights,  filling  the  coffers  of  Messrs.  J^rrett 
and  Palmer,  its  managers. 

The  exception  taken  by  the  clergy  in  former  years  to  ctrtain 
performances  did  much  to  cleanse  burlesque  and  other  cheaper 
forms  of  entertainment  and  to  cut  out  vulgar  and  indecent 
dialogue  and  situations.  Although  some  of  the  present  day 
productions  are  not  of  the  most  refined,  the  clergy  evince  a 
much  more  liberal  view  now  than  they  did  in  the  past. 

The  nearest  approach  to  the  "Black  Crook"  entertainment 
is  that  now  given  at  the  New  York  Hipprodrome,  with  the 
difference  that  the  enormous  size  of  its  stage,  added  to  the 
modern  mechanical  and  electrical  effects  and  its  hundreds  of 
supernumeraries,  make  it  a  more  grandiose  spectacle,  a  large 


228      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

share  of  the  credit  of  which  is  due  to  the  masterly  conception 
of  its  chief  scenic  director,  Mr.  Arthur  Voegtlin. 

The  development  of  the  moving  picture  shows  has  undoubt- 
edly reduced  the  receipts  in  the  gallery  and  balcony  of  legiti- 
mate theaters  and  yet  there  is  no  cessation  of  theater  building 
in  New  York,  accountable  perhaps  to  the  steadily  increasing 
population  and  the  likewise  steadily  increasing  number  of 
transient  visitors  who  are  principally  counted  upon  to  fill  the 
more  than  sixty  New  York  theaters  night  after  night.  With 
a  successful  production  the  receipts  of  any  first-class  theater 
will  reach  from  $10,000  to  $18,000  per  week,  far  in  excess 
of  the  fixed  charges  and  running  expenses,  but  in  many  cases, 
plays  are  kept  on  the  boards  in  New  York  even  with  very 
meager  returns,  in  order  to  help  their  road  business.  What 
effect  the  contemplated  improved  moving  picture  shows,  to 
combine  spoken  dialogue  and  musical  accompaniment,  will 
have  on  the  regular  theater  business  remains  to  be  seen. 

The  fact  remains,  also,  that  on  account  of  the  many  theaters 
in  New  York,  managers  are  obliged  to  "try  on"  inferior  plays, 
in  order  to  avoid  closing  their  houses. 

At  the  present  time  musical  and  dramatic  performances  suf- 
fer materially  from  an  economic  condition  which  is  unsound 
from  a  business  point  of  view,  owing  to  over-production. 
Some  years  ago,  when  the  so-called  "Theatrical  Syndicate" 
was  organized  its  directors  decided  that  the  surest  way  to  win 
a  monopoly  of  the  theater  business  was  to  lease  or  purchase 
the  leading  theater  buildings  in  the  United  States  and  then 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    229 

refuse  to  "give  any  time"  to  managers  who  opposed  them.  On 
that  account  the  comparatively  few  independent  managers 
were  obliged  to  build  theaters  in  cities  when  they  wished  their 
attractions  to  appear.  When  a  few  years  later  a  second  syn- 
dicate was  organized,  it  necessitated  the  building  of  a  new 
chain  of  theaters  to  house  its  productions.  As  a  result  of  this 
warfare  between  the  two  syndicates  nearly  all  the  principal 
cities  of  the  country  are  now  saddled  with  more  theater  build- 
ings than  they  can  support. 

In  New  York,  this  condition  is  even  more  pronounced. 
Nearly  every  season  some  of  the  minor  producing  managers 
change  from  one  syndicate  to  the  other,  so  that  they  seldom 
seem  to  know  far  enough  in  advance  just  where  they  will 
make  their  next  production  in  New  York,  and  thus  in  order  to 
assure  themselves  of  a  Broadway  booking,  they  are  obliged  to 
build  a  theater  of  their  own,  resulting  in  the  last  few  years  in 
a  veritable  epidemic  of  theater  building  in  New  York. 

A  theater  building  is  a  great  expense  to  its  owners,  especially 
if  located  in  one  of  the  most  costly  sections  of  a  city,  more 
particularly  in  New  York.  It  is  hazardous  for  the  owners  to 
permit  the  building  to  stand  idle  for  any  lengthy  period. 
They  must  keep  it  open  as  many  weeks  as  possible  throughout 
the  year;  and  if  play  after  play  fails  upon  its  stage,  they  must 
still  seek  other  entertainments  to  attract  sufficient  money  to 
cover  the  otherwise  dead  loss  of  the  rent.  Hence  there  exists 
in  America  a  false  demand  for  plays,  a  demand  which  is  occa- 
sioned not  by  the  natural  need  of  the  theater-going  public, 


230      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

but  by  the  frantic  need  on  the  part  of  the  warring  managers  to 
keep  their  theaters  open.  It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  find 
enough  first-class  plays,  operettas  or  musical  comedies  to  meet 
the  fictitious  demand,  and  the  managers  are  therefore  obliged 
to  secure  second-class  material,  which  they  hardly  expect  the 
public  to  approve,  because  it  will  cost  them  less  to  present 
second-class  attractions  to  small  audiences — particularly  regu- 
lar plays,  because  they  are  devoid  of  expensive  costume  and 
scenic  equipment — than  it  would  cost  them  to  close  some  of 
their  superfluous  theaters. 

No  very  deep  knowledge  of  economics  is  necessary  to  per- 
ceive that  this  must  become  eventually  a  ruinous  business 
policy.  Too  many  theaters  showing  too  many  plays  too  many 
months  in  the  year  cannot  finally  make  money ;  and  this  reacts 
against  art  itself  and  against  the  public's  appreciation,  and  yet 
there  are  managers  who  are  continually  willing  to  take  chances, 
figuring  that  one  "great  big  hit"  will  overshadow  in  profit  the 
loss  incurred  on  eight  failures.  Thus  good  work  suffers  by 
the  constant  accompaniment  of  bad  work  which  is  advertised 
in  precisely  the  same  way;  and  the  public  which  is  forced  to 
see  eight  bad  productions  in  order  to  find  one  good  one,  be- 
comes weary  and  is  apt  to  lose  faith. 

I  repeat  that  since  the  old  days  of  "The  Black  Crook"  in  the 
sixties,  followed  by  the  Lydia  Thompson  British  burlesquers, 
and  the  French  opera  bouffe,  the  Austro-German  operetta,  and 
the  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  works,  there  has  been  a  decided  back- 
ward movement  as  regards  the  adequate  portrayals  of  the  vari- 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY     231 

ous  parts  in  those  classes  of  entertainment.  The  very  best 
artists  procurable  were  secured  to  fill  adequately  all  the  various 
parts,  and  managers  vied  one  with  the  other  in  their  procure- 
ment, and  hence  the  performances  met  public  approval  and 
resulted  in  exceedingly  long  runs  as  a  general  rule. 

To-day,  with  the  "star"  system  in  vogue  it  is  not  possible 
with  generally  inferior  casts,  to  expect  the  same  all  around 
artistic  presentation  as  in  former  years.  I  refer  not  only  to 
musical  plays,  but  to  dramatic  performances  as  well.  Indeed, 
"the  star"  is  put  forward  so  strongly,  that  in  a  great  many 
cases  even  the  title  of  the  play  becomes  of  secondary  consider- 
ation. It  may  be  that  a  popular  "star"  becomes  a  box  office 
magnet,  but  that  is  no  reason  why  the  artistic  completeness  of 
a  production,  and  the  theater-going  public  should  thus  be 
made  the  loser. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  an  adequate,  all-round  cast  is  the 
most  important  factor  and  no  expenditure  of  large  sums  of 
money  for  scenery,  costumes  and  accessories  can  suffice  without 
the  right  players. 

A  few  of  the  present  time  composers  and  librettists  of 
operettas  or  musical  plays,  who  seek  to  emulate  a  Johann 
Strauss,  a  Franz  von  Suppe,  a  Carl  Millocker,  a  Jacques 
Offenbach,  a  Charles  Lecocq  or  an  Arthur  Sullivan  should  bear 
in  mind  that  something  more  than  clever  musicianship  and 
skill  in  writing  humorous  verse  is  necessary.  Old  observers 
know  this  and  even  the  careless  listener  realizes  it,  though  un- 
interested in  the  technical  elements  of  stagecraft:  Vulgar 


232      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

humor  and  musical  commonplace  have  brought  in  many  in- 
stances the  entertainment  which  is  called  operetta  and  musical 
comedy  to  a  low  plane,  but  the  more  thought  and  purpose  have 
been  degraded,  the  more  have  craftsmanship  and  attention  to 
external  elements  been  advanced.  Roistering  fun-makers, 
gorgeous  scenery,  pretty  chorus  girls  in  picturesque  gowns  and 
ingenuous  stage  management  have  unhappily  become  of 
greater  moment  than  comedy  with  a  purpose  and  music  which 
does  not  offend  good  taste.  The  more  sincere  the  attempt  to 
give  artistic  aim  to  musical  comedy,  however,  the  greater  the 
demand  upon  technical  skill  in  creation  and  production. 

Time  changes  nothing  else  in  us  so  much  as  our  sense  of 
humor.  This  development  notable  in  the  individual  who 
grows  up,  is  more  notable  still  in  the  growing  community,  so 
that  always  the  oldest  nation  has  the  finest  and  keenest  instinct 
of  fun.  Our  own  progress  was  apparent  in  nothing  more  than 
in  our  altered  taste  for  musical  comedy. 

We  began  by  appreciating  only  the  broadest  burlesques  and 
spectacular  melo-dramatic  representations,  then  the  Austro- 
,  German  operettas,  and  finally  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  lifted  us 
suddenly  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  plane.  These  two 
last-mentioned  men  were  a  phenomenon,  almost  unique  in 
theatrical  history,  because  they  were  as  peerless,  as  inimitable, 
as  supreme  in  their  own  field  as  Shakespeare  or  Wagner. 
There  never  has  been  another  Shakespeare  nor  a  Wagner;  there 
probably  never  will  be  another  Gilbert  and  Sullivan.  At  the 
height  of  their  vogue,  Charles  Hoyt  began  producing  rapid- 


EUGENE   SANDOW 


MASCAGNI 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    233 

fire  farces  in  which  the  songs  were  incidental  and  this  kind 
of  entertainment,  redeemed  by  the  wit,  the  constructive  skill 
and  the  genius  for  characterization  of  a  master,  speedily  de- 
generated to  the  musical  comedy  of  the  early  nineties,  in  which 
in  some  of  them  the  plot  was  silly  or  non-existent,  the  dialogue 
a  selection  from  the  comic  weeklies,  the  music  elemental  and 
the  predominant  purpose  of  the  whole  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  the  exhibition  of  the  largest  possible  number  of  women 
in  the  smallest  possible  number  of  garments.  These  pieces 
were  built  rather  than  written.  Of  what  use  was  a  clever 
librettist  when  good  lines  were  desirable  chiefly  when  they 
could  be  revealed  by  abbreviated  attire,  and  when  half  a  dozen 
unusually  pretty  girls  atoned  for  any  possible  vapidity  of 
play? 

"The  Merry  Widow"  turned  the  tide,  the  Austro-German 
operettas  previously  named  and  "The  Spring  Maid,"  "The 
Pink  Lady,"  "The  Quaker  Girl,"  "The  Enchantress,"  "The 
Red  Widow,"  and  "The  Rose  Maid"  followed.  Long  before 
then  the  public  had  sickened  of  its  feed,  but  the  managers 
had  been  somewhat  slow  to  see  it.  A  single  success  did  the 
trick.  The  one-fingered  would-be  musicians  went  out  of 
fashion,  and  they  were  replaced  by  talented  composers. 

It  is  possible  no  longer  to  introduce  into  any  sort  of  a  scene 
any  sort  of  a  song.  Stage  directors  nowadays  do  not  consider 
it  entirely  apropos  to  lower  a  motor  boat  into  a  drawing  room 
set  in  order  that  some  basso-profundo  recruit  from  vaudeville 
may  warble  "Nancy  Lee." 


234      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

One  of  the  most  delightful  of  recent  revivals  in  New  York 
was  "Robin  Hood"  at  the  New  Amsterdam  Theater.  "Oh, 
Promise  Me"  of  course  brought  tender  recollections  of  Jessie 
Bartlett  Davis  and  one  was  agreeably  reminded  of  Henry  Clay 
Barnabee,  Eugene  Cowles  and  Tom  Karl,  and  those  other 
Bostonians  who  first  presented  that  admirable  De  Koven  and 
Smith  work,  more  than  twenty  years  ago  at  the  Standard 
Theater.  Walter  Hyde  and  Bella  Alten,  both  recruits  from 
grand  opera,  sang  delightfully  the  music  allotted  to  them. 
Vocally  the  entire  production  was  perfect.  Basil  Ruysdael, 
Carl  Gantvoorst  and  Sidney  Bracy  brought  out  the  fullest 
beauties  of  the  score,  while  it  is  safe  to  say  that  Annabel's  one 
solo,  "I'll  Love  Tho'  All  the  World  Say  Nay,"  was  never  bet- 
ter sung  than  by  Ann  Swinburne,  so  suddenly  and  deservedly 
elevated  to  the  prima-donna  role  in  Lehar's  charming  operetta 
"The  Count  of  Luxembourg." 

Florence  Wickham's  most  sensational  success  was  her  ap- 
pearance in  the  tights  of  Alan-a-Dale,  and  this  is  not  under- 
estimating the  richness  of  Miss  Wickham's  contralto  voice. 
Edwin  Stevens  was  very  amusing  as  the  Sheriff  of  Nottingham 
and  Pauline  Hall  was  warmly  welcomed  in  the  role  of  Dame 
Durden,  and  George  Frothingham's  Friar  Tuck,  which  was 
the  original,  continues  to  be  an  example  of  how  much  an  artist 
can  do  with  very  little.  The  production  was  sumptuous,  both 
as  regards  costumes  and  scenery.  The  second  act,  a  forest 
scene  with  its  lovely  greens  and  browns,  its  running  stream 
and  its  patch  of  verdant  grass  realistically  lighted,  made  one 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY     235 

think  of  the  landscapes  of  a  Diaz  or  a  Troyon.  The  chorus 
looked  and  sang  remarkably  well. 

As  previously  mentioned  "The  Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief" 
at  the  Casino,  was  the  forerunner  in  the  early  eighties  of  the 
Austro-German  operetta  craze,  followed  by  the  "Erminie" 
craze  in  1886  and  by  the  "Florodora"  musical  comedy  craze 
in  1900.  Upon  every  hand  you  heard  nothing  but  stories 
about  the  piece,  of  how  the  members  of  the  cast  were  like  one 
big  family,  how  delighted  they  were  at  their  ultimate  success, 
how  the  cast  continued  no  less  than  three  leading  women  who 
dwelt  in  the  greatest  harmony,  of  the  enormous  fortunes  made 
by  the  different  chorus  girls  in  Wall  Street  speculations,  of 
their  various  matrimonial  affairs,  and  as  for  the  famous  sex- 
tette, their  names  and  reputed  exploits  were  to  be  found  in  the 
public  prints  at  least  seven  days  a  week. 

Then  there  was  the  music.  Why,  you  simply  could  not 
escape  it,  no  matter  how  hard  you  might  try. 

First  thing  when  you  arose  in  the  morning  someone  in  your 
neighborhood  would  be  playing  "The  Shade  of  the  Palm." 
Later  when  being  served  with  your  eggs  at  the  breakfast,  your 
otherwise  irreproachable  and  irreplaceable  maid  would  be 
quietly  humming  "I've  an  Inkling."  Then  all  day  long,  in 
either  business  or  residential  section  of  New  York,  the  good 
old  hurdy-gurdies  would  grind  out  one  tune  after  another,  the 
favorite  in  this  repertoire  being  "Tell  Me,  Pretty  Maiden." 
Indeed,  one  had  to  have  patience  and  fortitude  during  the 
"Florodora"  fad.  Yet  it  represented  an  enthusiastic  era;  and 


236      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

with  the  one  possible  exception  of  "Erminie"  there  had  never 
been  anything  quite  like  it  before,  nor  has  there  been  since. 

The  original  cast  of  "Florodora"  included  Robert  E.  Gra- 
ham, Cyril  Scott,  Willie  Edouin,  Fannie  Johnston,  Mabel 
Barrison,  Edna  Wallace  Hopper.  The  six  girls  who  com- 
prised the  original  sextette  were  Margaret  Walker,  Vaughn 
Texsmith,  Marie  L.  Wilson,  Marjorie  Relyea,  Agnes  Way- 
burn  and  Daisy  Greene.  These  were  the  original  bona  fide 
"big  six,"  as  they  were  called. 

For  five  years  after  the  first  night  of  "Floradora,"  at  least 
nine-tenths  of  the  chorus  damsels  in  the  world,  young  and  old, 
fat  and  slender,  blond  and  brunette,  each  and  every  one  made 
the  claim  "Oh,  I  was  in  the  original  Florodora  sextette." 

In  a  literal  compilation  of  names  of  various  girls  identified 
with  the  sextette  at  one  time  or  another,  the  number  is  some 
seventy  odd,  and  of  these  only  three  achieved  anything  like 
lasting  success,  one  of  whom  soon  gave  up  her  stage  position 
for  the  greater  security  of  matrimony.  These  three  were  Edna 
Goodrich,  Julia  Frary  and  Frances  Belmont. 

Miss  Goodrich  joined  the  cast  not  long  after  the  opening, 
and  aided  by  remarkable  personal  charms,  she  went  steadily 
ahead,  first  in  musical  plays  and  then  in  legitimate  comedy, 
eventually  finding  herself  leading  woman  with  Nat  Goodwin. 
Miss  Frary  was  apparently  made  of  the  stuff  that  counts, 
having  advanced  herself  soon  after  her  advent  as  a  "sextetter" 
to  the  position  of  prima  donna  with  Frank  Daniel's  Company, 
while  recently  during  two  seasons  she  has  been  leading  femi- 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY     237 

nine  support  with  Elsie  Janis  in  "The  Slim  Princess."  Had 
Miss  Frances  Belmont  remained  on  the  stage  there  is  no  telling 
what  she  might  have  achieved,  for  she  seemed  well  started 
upon  a  most  promising  career.  At  this  time,  however,  she  did 
not  display  any  notable  histrionic  talent  as  she  nightly  warbled 
"There  are  a  few,  kind  sir."  Nevertheless,  she  passed  im- 
mediately from  the  show  girl  ranks  to  the  position  of  leading 
woman  with  Charles  Hawtrey  in  two  of  his  plays,  "A  Messen- 
ger from  Mars"  and  "Saucy  Sally."  She  seemed  thoroughly 
in  earnest  and  in  a  fair  way  to  maintain  a  stage  position  of  im- 
portance. 

Then  somewhat  abruptly  she  gave  up  the  stage  and  went  to 
Paris  to  live.  The  next  thing  heard  of  her  was  the  informa- 
tion that  she  had  married  into  one  of  England's  most  exclusive 
titled  families.  On  February  igth,  1906,  she  became  the 
wife  of  Francis  Denzil  Edward  Baring,  the  fifth  Baron  Ash- 
burton  and  holder  of  the  oldest  of  the  four  peerages  held  by 
the  Baring  family,  the  ceremony  being  performed  at  the 
English  Church  at  Passy,  France. 

It  speaks  volumes  for  the  former  Casino  girl  that  the  mar- 
riage has  been  a  happy  one  and,  being  the  second  Lady  Ash- 
burton,  the  first  having  died  in  1904,  she  has  successfully  filled 
the  generally  trying  position  of  stepmother  to  four  daughters 
and  a  son.  She  and  her  husband  have  visited  this  country 
several  times  since  their  marriage,  but  there  is  not  the  slight- 
est possibility  of  her  ever  returning  to  the  stage. 

It  is  a  fact  worth  chronicling  that  of  the  few  American 


238      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

actresses  who  have  married  into  the  British  peerage,  Miss  Bel- 
mont  has  been  the  only  one  to  make  a  success  of  it.  Nor  was 
the  marriage  influenced  on  the  part  of  her  husband,  either  by 
callowness  or  senility,  for  at  the  time  he  was  forty  years  old 
and  she  was  twenty-two. 

An  actor  who  has  attained  a  high  position  in  the  profession 
informed  me  not  very  long  ago,  that  he  was  first  engaged  as 
a  super  at  the  old  Boston  Museum,  for  the  munificent  salary 
of  two  dollars  per  week.  Connected  in  even  so  humble  a  capac- 
ity with  a  company  which  occupied  a  theater  so  full  of  tra- 
ditions, handed  down  by  Booth,  Barrett,  McCullough  and  the 
other  makers  of  American  theatrical  history,  he  was  contented 
with  his  lot,  even  though  it  cost  his  father  ten  times  more  than 
his  salary. 

His  schooling  in  the  Boston  Museum  Stock  Company, 
wherein  he  was  gradually  advanced  to  utility  and  eventually 
more  important  parts,  only  served  to  increase  his  appetite  for 
histrionic  honors.  The  disadvantages  of  being  an  actor  did  not 
protrude  themselves  on  his  horizon  until  long  after  he  had  left 
his  native  heath. 

When  engagements  with  various  companies  throughout  the 
country  began  to  attract  him,  by  reason  of  the  opportunity  for 
travel,  he  was  soon  initiated  into  the  vagaries  of  the  vaga- 
bond life,  and  from  that  time  until  he  was  selected  for  the  prin- 
cipal role  in  a  certain  play,  there  were  enough  disappointments 
to  make  him  cry  time  and  time  again,  "The  actor's  life  is  not 
altogether  a  happy  one." 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY     239 

Small  road  companies  are  not  the  only  organizations  which 
have  cause  to  complain  of  their  lot.  They  have  been  the 
target  at  which  humorists  have  darted  their  shafts  of  wit,  but 
many  an  important  company  having  outlived  its  usefulness  in 
the  larger  cities,  is  compelled  to  experience  much  discomfort 
at  the  hands  of  the  unsophisticated  natives  in  the  rural  dis- 
tricts. That,  however,  is  not  the  worst  feature  of  being  an 
actor.  Seriously,  a  player  who  spends  three-fourths  of  his 
time  away  from  home,  has  less  advantage  than  the  alien  who 
enters  the  country  as  an  immigrant  and  in  a  year  has  naturali- 
zation papers.  The  immigrant  then  has  a  voice  in  the  selec- 
tion of  office  holders;  he  is  licensed  to  conduct  a  business;  in 
time  if  he  is  thrifty  he  owns  his  home  and  becomes  a  tax-payer, 
and  eventually,  in  many  instances,  he  is  heard  from  as  a 
public-spirited  citizen. 

The  actor,  in  all  likelihood  born  in  this  country,  educated  in 
its  schools,  begins  his  fiscal  year  by  spending  two  or  three 
months  in  the  spring  and  summer  in  New  York  City,  waiting 
for  some  producing  manager  to  select  him  as  a  type  for  a 
character  in  a  new  production.  Failing  in  this,  he  takes  the 
best  road  job  which  offers  itself  and  begins  to  work,  sometimes 
in  August,  more  often  in  September  and  not  infrequently  in 
October. 

As  the  amusement  business  is  the  first  to  feel  the  effects  of 
any  unusual  condition  which  might  happen  to  develop  com- 
mercially, the  season  for  the  actor  has  been  variously  averaged 
at  from  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  weeks.  During  this  time  he 


240      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

is  on  the  road,  paying  more  for  his  living  than  if  he  had  his 
own  home,  thus  contributing,  in  the  various  cities  which  he 
visits,  a  part  of  the  great  amount  of  money  expended  annually 
by  transients.  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  commerce  of 
any  city  depends  in  a  great  measure  on  the  itinerant  public. 
Through  all  of  this  expense,  inconvenient  existence,  and  in 
many  unsatisfactory  hotels,  the  actor  does  not  even  get  a 
chance  to  vote.  If  he  leaves  his  company  for  the  purpose  of 
casting  a  ballot  in  his  home  town  he  will  probably  lose  his 
engagement. 

When  the  actor  herein  referred  to  had  been  provided  with 
his  first  "star"  part,  he  had  had  all  and  more  of  these  disagree- 
able experiences  that  fall  to  the  lot  of  any  one  player.  The 
advance  of  civilization  has  not  penetrated  the  nooks  and 
corners  of  this  country  sufficiently  to  eradicate  from  the  narrow 
minds  of  some  natives  the  idea  that  the  actor  is  no  longer  a 
vagabond.  He  believes  there  is  still  extant  in  England  a  law 
which  defined  the  actor  as  a  vagabond  and  he  thinks  that  it 
has  been  very  widely  interpreted  in  many  towns  which  he  has 
visited. 

The  hotel  clerk  is  usually  the  first  important  personage  the 
actor  meets  on  his  arrival.  As  soon  as  he  realizes  you  are 
with  the  show,  he  seems  to  dig  up  all  of  the  garret  rooms  which 
have  not  been  dusted  since  the  last  troupe  played  in  the  town, 
and  that  may  mean  two  weeks,  or  two  months,  according  to 
the  ability  of  the  local  theater  manager  to  get  a  contract. 

The  bell  boy  no  sooner  plants  your  luggage  in  a  musty  room 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    241 

before  he  asks  you  for  a  pass.  Just  about  the  time  you  are 
ready  to  rest  after  your  journey,  the  maid  will  repeat  the  re- 
quest, by  the  time  you  reach  the  dining-room  the  colored  waiter 
has  already  spotted  you  and  expressed  a  desire  to  see  the  show 
that  night.  Before  you  reach  the  door,  the  porter,  the  clerk 
and  all  of  the  other  attaches  who,  for  some  unknown  reason, 
believe  that  their  services  are  indispensable,  feel  that  the  only 
possible  reciprocity  is  an  order  on  the  box  office  for  two  seats. 
If  you  happen  to  be  the  star  of  a  play,  this  request  is  made  by 
the  messenger  boy,  the  cab  driver,  the  newsboy  who  takes  your 
money  for  a  paper,  and,  in  fact,  from  every  considerable  angle 
someone  will  find  some  excuse  to  ask  for  a  pass. 

The  pass  fiend,  however,  is  not  the  only  one  who  besieges  a 
successful  player.  As  soon  as  the  critics  approve  of  a  play,  and 
their  judgment  is  corroborated  by  the  paying  public,  there  will 
come  a  stream  of  playwrights,  confident,  sanguine  and  insistent 
that  they  have  the  play,  the  great  American  play  long  awaited, 
which  needs  only  the  personality,  talent  and  popularity  of  the 
star.  If  he  takes  the  trouble  to  read  a  few  of  these  manu- 
scripts, he  will  find  that  in  most  cases  the  subject  is  identical 
with  that  in  the  play  in  which  he  happened  to  be  appearing. 

Most  people  seem  to  think  that  the  actor  has  nothing  to  do 
but  enjoy  himself.  This  statement  has  probably  been  made 
so  often  that  it  might  be  classed  among  the  "bromides"  of 
modern  journalism.  But  it  is  nevertheless  a  fact,  in  spite  of 
the  columns  and  columns  of  press  matter,  which  have  been  and 
are  being  written  daily  about  actors  and  the  personal  side  of 


242      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

their  lives,  and  which  should  by  this  time  have  been  sufficient 
to  show  the  public  just  how  the  actor  spends  his  time. 

If  he  begins  his  day  at  noon,  provided  he  is  not  compelled 
to  travel,  he  has  as  many  if  not  more,  appointments  made  for 
him  than  most  notable  captains  of  industry.  He  does  not  dare 
turn  down  an  interview  from  a  paper;  he  has  clubs,  societies 
and  leagues  whose  invitations  must  not  be  neglected,  and  by 
the  time  his  performance  is  over  in  the  evening,  there  are 
usually  two  or  three  friends  whom  he  has  not  seen  for  months 
or  years,  who  drop  in  unannounced.  So  there  is  very  little 
time  left  for  himself. 

This  routine,  of  course,  is  applicable  only  to  those  players 
who  are  sufficiently  interested  in  their  business  to  observe  an 
attitude  of  tact  and  diplomacy.  For,  after  all,  the  profession 
is  a  business  and  it  must  be  conducted  as  such. 

There  are  not  many  angles  of  the  profession  which  have 
not  been  discussed  in  clubs  and  in  the  public  press,  so  that  the 
play-goer  who  reads  is  by  this  time,  most  likely,  quite  familiar 
with  the  inside  facts  of  the  profession.  While  it  is  a  profes- 
sion from  its  artistic  side,  there  is  that  system  and  method  of 
conducting  a  theatrical  enterprise  which  is  rigid  and  precise. 

If  the  actor,  or  an  executive  in  any  other  department  of  a 
theater,  were  to  devote  as  much  time  to  a  commercial  enter- 
prise, as  is  expected  of  him  in  his  own  profession,  he  feels  con- 
fident that  his  energy  would  put  to  shame  some  of  the  results 
attained  by  our  men  of  affairs. 

From  the  time  a  manuscript  is  put  into  rehearsal  the  actor 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    243 

becomes  the  victim  of  circumstances.  It  is  needless  to  relate 
here  the  hours,  the  days,  the  weeks  of  tedious  work  consumed 
in  the  preparation  of  a  production.  Neither  is  the  author 
going  to  dwell  upon  the  excitement  and  nervousness  of  a  first 
night  after  these  weeks  of  rehearsal,  waiting  for  the  verdict 
of  the  proverbial  "death  watch"  who  sit  like  undertakers  at 
every  premiere;  nor  will  he  attempt  to  describe  the  feelings  of 
the  players,  some  of  whom  sit  up  all  night  waiting  for  the  first 
edition  of  the  morning  papers,  wherein  will  be  reported  their 
success  or  failure. 

But  when  you  reconsider  all  of  these  experiences  through 
which  an  actor  must  pass,  when  you  realize  how  long  he  has 
to  fight  for  recognition  and  when  you  understand  that  his  per- 
sonal popularity  is  measured  by  the  whim  of  the  public,  you 
will  not  blame  him  for  repeating,  "The  actor's  life  is  not  al- 
together a  happy  one." 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  so-called  "press  agent" 
plays  a  very  important  part,  if  he  is  clever,  in  the  ultimate 
success  of  a  play  or  musical  production.  Frequently  adverse 
newspaper  criticisms  create  in  the  minds  of  some  of  the 
theater-going  public  a  lukewarmness  towards  certain  new  pro- 
ductions and  lessen  the  box  office  receipts  for  a  week  or  two. 
The  excision  of  bad  and  the  introduction  of  good  material 
added  to  quick  action  on  the  part  of  the  press  agent,  will  in 
many  instances  turn  a  failure  into  a  success. 

I  remember  when  "Florodora"  was  produced  at  the  Casino 
— that  musical  comedy  having  already  enjoyed  a  great  meas- 


244      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

tire  of  popularity  in  England — its  business  for  the  first  few 
weeks  was  very  mediocre,  but  the  quick  and  persistent  work 
of  the  press  agent,  the  heralding  of  the  tuneful,  original  and 
catchy  sextette,  helped  "Florodora"  to  develop  into  one  of  the 
greatest  artistic  and  financial  successes  of  a  decade  and  such 
was  the  case  in  a  number  of  previous  Casino  productions. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  press  agent  is  of  more  im- 
portance in  America  than  he  is  in  Europe,  where  the  public  is 
not  so  eager  for  sensation  and  for  continuous  newspaper  stories 
about  the  popular  artists. 

In  the  case  of  Caruso,  for  example,  months  previous  to  the 
return  of  that  idolized  tenor  to  fill  his  accustomed  season's  en- 
gagement at  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  through  the  press 
agent's  manoeuvring  the  newspapers  all  over  the  country  de- 
voted columns  upon  columns  to  narratives — whether  true  or 
untrue — regarding  that  artists'  doings  abroad,  his  domestic 
affairs,  the  presentation  to  him  of  decorations  from  potentates, 
the  scramble  for  tickets  at  fabulous  prices  whenever  he  ap- 
peared in  Berlin  and  other  cities  in  Germany,  at  Ostend,  etc., 
stories  that  have  been  repeatedly  told,  and  yet  the  opera- 
loving  public  delight  to  read  them  and  they  help  in  filling  the 
coffers  of  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House  on  "Caruso"  nights. 

The  same  method  is  pursued  by  the  press  agent  regarding 
artists  in  other  lines,  for  example,  Eva  Tanguay,  now  one  of 
the  highest-priced  woman  performers  on  the  vaudeville  stage. 
Many  stories  have  been  written  of  her  eccentricities,  of  her 
physical  prowess,  of  her  belligerent  disposition,  of  her  love 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    245 

affairs,  and  few  of  them  accurate.  Once  at  Bostock's  animal 
exhibition  in  Dreamland,  Coney  Island,  so  the  press  agent  re- 
lated, she  posed  before  the  camera  with  a  cub  lion  in  her  arms. 
Upon  her  arrival  the  trainer  proposed  that  she  pose  also  in  a 
den  of  ferocious  tigers.  Impulsively  she  agreed.  Five  min- 
utes later  when  she  looked  into  the  cage  of  roaring  beasts,  she 
regretted  her  promise,  but  she  did  not  flinch.  Into  the  den  she 
sprang,  and  there  she  stood  motionless,  while  a  less  brave 
photographer  from  a  place  of  safety  "took"  her  again  and 
again.  This  exhibition  was  not  altogether  bravery  on  Miss 
Tanguay's  part,  for  she  was  frightened  almost  to  collapse;  it 
was  the  will  power  and  determination  that  have  brought  her 
to  her  present  eminence  in  her  chosen  and  "I  don't  care" 
calling. 

More  than  any  of  her  colleagues  Miss  Tanguay  believes 
in  the  efficacy  of  advertising.  Her  advertisements  frequently 
are  quite  as  puzzling  as  her  other  products.  At  least  they  are 
novel  enough  to  arouse  comment  and  to  induce  her  readers  to 
look  for  them,  which  is,  after  all,  the  acid  test  of  advertising. 

During  one  of  my  recent  visits  to  Paris  I  investigated  the 
theater  status  there  quite  thoroughly,  and  as  the  conditions 
are  somewhat  different  from  those  in  America  I  thought  that 
it  might  interest  my  readers. 

As  is  well  known,  many  Paris  theaters  are  subsidized  by  the 
Government,  which  exercises  a  certain  supervision  over  them. 
They  either  receive  a  certain  sum  of  money  annually  from  the 
French  treasury  or  their  taxes  are  in  part  or  as  a  whole  re- 


246      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

mitted.  The  theaters  receiving  aid  from  the  Government  are 
required  to  conform  to  certain  laws  as  regards  and  governs 
safety,  sanitary  and  other  conditions,  and  they  are  not  per- 
mitted to  ask  exorbitant  prices  for  seats,  or  raise  the  prices, 
except  with  the  permission  of  the  Government,  and  then  only 
when  the  expense  of  the  production  is  so  great  as  to  warrant  a 
rise  in  the  prices  of  seats.  Yet  even  then  there  is  no  extor- 
tionate rate  demanded,  as  is  so  often  the  case  in  London  and 
New  York,  when  a  play  is  to  be  produced  or  a  grand  opera 
to  be  sung  with  an  all-star  cast. 

The  prices  of  admission  to  the  average  Paris  theater  range 
from  ten  cents  (50  centimes)  in  the  gallery  to  four  dollars 
for  a  box  seating  six  persons.  A  balcony  seat  is  from  forty 
to  sixty  cents,  the  parterre  seats  bring  from  sixty  cents  to  a 
dollar.  These  prices  are  for  such  theaters  as  the  Gymnase, 
the  Antoine  and  several  others.  The  higher  priced  playhouses 
are  the  Varieties,  the  Vaudeville,  the  Sarah  Bernhardt,  the 
Odeon,  the  Francois  and  a  few  others.  Their  prices  ranging 
from  twenty  cents  in  the  gallery  to  three  dollars  in  the 
orchestra,  and  boxes  from  five  to  eight  dollars. 

The  Paris  theaters  have  the  usual  matinees,  but  they  are 
not  so  well  attended  as  the  matinees  on  this  side  of  the  water, 
although  the  prices  are  slightly  reduced.  Most  of  the  Paris 
playhouses  give  performances  seven  evenings  a  week  the  year 
round,  except  the  Grand  Opera,  whose  doors  are  closed  during 
certain  parts  of  the  year,  and  whose  stage  is  in  darkness  three 
nights  out  of  every  week,  there  being  no  performance  Tuesday, 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    247 

Thursday  and  Sunday,  except  on  special  occasions.  The 
Theatre  Frangais  is  the  favorite  with  the  Parisian  public  and 
it  is  there  that  the  best  in  the  distinctively  French  play  may  be 
seen.  This  theater  receives  annually  from  the  Government, 
enough  to  cover  all  taxes,  approximately  $25,000,  and  the 
remitting  of  all  dues  to  the  city  of  Paris  for  the  care  of  streets 
upon  which  it  is  located ;  the  Government  caring  for  the  insur- 
ing of  buildings  and  properties.  The  Odeon  receives  a  like 
sum  of  money,  and  several  other  playhouses  are  sufficiently 
subsidized  by  the  Government  to  cover  much  of  the  actual  ex- 
penses of  caring  for  the  buildings.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
theaters,  the  Grand  Opera  and  the  Opera  Comique  in  Paris  are 
obliged  to  pay  a  large  percentage  of  their  receipts,  half  of 
which  is  devoted  toward  a  fund  for  the  poor  of  Paris  and  the 
other  for  royalties  to  authors  and  composers. 

All  Paris  theaters  are  obliged  to  support  two  firemen  of  the 
regular  municipal  fire  department,  who  stand  guard  at  the 
stage  door  during  all  performances,  their  hand  grenades  and 
other  first  call  appliances  at  hand.  Paris  has,  too,  a  theater 
fire  department,  an  engine,  hook  and  ladder  and  hose  cart,  in 
several  of  her  engine  houses,  that  are  used  for  no  other  pur- 
pose than  first  alarm  at  a  theater.  This  outfit  has  appliances 
especially  adapted  to  the  extinguishing  of  fires  in  theater  build- 
ings, very  long  steel  ladders,  small  hose  reels  and  extension 
grappling  hooks,  to  be  used  in  small  passageways  behind  the 
stage  and  among  the  scenes,  where  most  fires  in  theaters  orig- 
inate. All  Paris  playhouses  are  required  to  have  fire  curtains 


248      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

or  drops  and  the  buildings  are  usually  constructed  of  stone  and 
the  interior  work,  balconies  and  galleries  of  steel,  the  danger 
of  fire  is  remote,  and  the  thing  most  to  be  dreaded  is  panic,  the 
aisles,  passage-ways,  exits  and  stairways  being  narrow  and 
hence  dangerous  in  the  event  of  fire. 

The  method  of  theater  vendors  in  Paris  is  also  different 
from  ours.  Quite  a  number  of  Paris  playhouses  have  their 
ticket  vendors  at  the  principal  street  corners  and  even  in  front 
of  or  adjacent  to  the  box  office.  These  men  receive  a  commis- 
sion and  the  commission  varies  with  the  number  of  tickets  dis- 
posed of.  An  interesting  character  in  Paris  is  the  ticket 
broker  who  sells  his  wares  upon  the  street  curb.  He  will  offer 
you  a  ticket  at  six  o'clock  at  a  less  price  than  you  would  have 
to  pay  for  it  at  the  box  office ;  at  seven  o'clock  at  still  less,  at 
seven  thirty  o'clock  he  will  make  it  to  you  at  possibly  a  third 
off;  at  eight  o'clock  there  is  another  drop  in  the  price;  at  the 
rise  of  the  curtain  he  has  vanished,  whether  he  has  disposed  of 
his  tickets  or  not.  It  seems  that  he  buys  a  certain  number  of 
tickets  at  reduced  prices,  allowing  him  to  make  a  good  profit 
if  he  sells  them  early  in  the  evening;  he  offers  them  at  a  slightly 
lower  figure  from  the  box  office  rate,  then  failing,  as  the  hour 
for  curtain  approaches,  in  disposing  of  the  requisite  number,  he 
is  obliged  to  turn  in  the  unsold  tickets  at  half  price.  Yet  in 
the  long  run  the  broker  comes  out  ahead. 

The  theaters  in  the  French  capital  are  quite  well  policed,  the 
entrances  and  aisles  are  kept  clear,  the  women  ushers  well  in- 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    249 

structed  in  their  duties,  polite  and  courteous,  yet  overbearing 
in  their  demands  for  tips.  The  theater  programs  are  neat  and 
artistic  and  not  quite  so  voluminous  as  those  in  American 
theaters  and  for  which  a  small  charge  is  exacted.  (To  my 
mind  both  the  tips  and  the  charges  should  be  eliminated.) 
The  Paris  theaters  are  in  general  well  managed,  but  they  lack 
the  comfort,  cleanliness,  and  the  otherwise  spacious  seating 
arrangements  of  the  average  American  houses. 

It  is  an  astonishing  fact  that  in  England,  Germany,  France 
and  Italy  the  old  actors  and  actresses  retain  their  popularity 
and  are  revered  by  the  public  until  they  are  hardly  able  to 
trod  the  boards  and  in  this  country,  with  rare  exception,  as 
soon  as  an  actor  or  actress  reaches  a  certain  age  he  or  she  is 
relegated  to  private  life.  In  this  age  of  progressiveness,  the 
public  often  is  wrongly  accused  of  forgetting  and  neglecting 
its  old  favorites  and  of  paying  court  to  younger  people.  The 
old  actor  and  actress  forget,  however,  that  unless  they  happen 
to  be  extraordinary  artists,  they  cannot  create  the  illusion  of 
youth.  They  are  not  all  gifted  with  the  genius  of  a  Sarah 
Bernhardt  or  a  Coquelin. 

In  dramatic  and  musical  productions  the  manager  always 
seeks  for  novelty.  It  is  the  new  meritorious  play  or  operetta 
which  draws  and  so  in  large  measure  it  is  the  new  personality. 
Only  where  the  lack  of  youth  and  charm  is  supplemented  by 
great  artistic  worth  is  the  actor  or  actress  able  to  overcome  this 
desire  for  something  new. 

A  story  was  once  told  of  a  certain  actress,  at  one  time  well 


250      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

known  and  decidedly  popular,  who  had  been  for  several  sea- 
sons without  employment,  or  when  employed  had  been  prac- 
tically unnoticed  by  both  the  press  and  the  public;  and  as  she 
was  no  longer  young,  she  found  herself  engaged  finally  for  the 
character  role  of  the  mother  in  a  certain  production.  Years 
before,  she  would  have  been  eagerly  accepted  as  the  heroine — 
the  daughter — as  the  characters  fell  in  the  cast  in  question. 

Now  a  younger,  fresher,  more  immediately  successful  lead- 
ing woman  was  engaged  for  that  role,  but  the  night  of  the 
first  performance,  the  older  actress  in  the  role  of  the  mother 
carried  off  all  the  honors.  She  gave  a  wonderfully  sympa- 
thetic, mellow,  finished  portrayal,  at  least  so  the  critics  said 
next  day,  and  judging  from  the  applause  and  curtain  calls, 
there  was  no  doubt  that  she  had  made  the  hit  of  the  play. 

When,  however,  some  friends  went  into  her  dressing  room 
after  the  last  curtain  fall,  instead  of  the  happy  woman  they 
expected  to  find,  they  saw  her  lying  on  a  couch  sobbing  as  if 
her  heart  would  break.  "Why,  you've  made  the  biggest  hit 
of  the  season,"  some  one  said.  "You'll  be  the  talk  of  New 
York  to-morrow."  But  she  only  went  on  sobbing  and  nothing 
could  console  her. 

"Yes,"  she  said  finally,  "the  hit  of  the  piece  as  an  old 
woman,  only  the  beginning  of  the  end  for  me  and  my  work." 

Now  that  woman  would  have  been  in  a  position  to  retire 
comfortably  years  before.  How  much  happier  she  might  have 
been  with  her  old  memories  to  warm  her  in  her  old  age,  instead 
of  remaining  in  a  position  where  even  success  meant  merely  the 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    251 

raking  over  of  dead  ashes!  And  the  same  might  be  said  of 
innumerable  prima  donnas  of  the  past  who  persist  in  continu- 
ous farewell  performances. 

The  adulation  in  both  the  dramatic  and  musical  profession 
is  so  direct,  so  personal,  so  immediate  that  it  gets  to  be  second 
nature  with  most  artists  to  expect  it.  After  all,  the  artist 
cannot  appeal  to  posterity,  cannot  wait  till  next  year,  next 
month,  next  week  to  learn  that  he  has  succeeded.  He  cannot 
sit  back  complacently  in  the  face  of  failure  and  hope  that  a 
future  verdict  will  reverse  the  present  judgment.  With  the 
artist  it  must  be  now  or  never,  and  the  older  an  actor  is,  the 
more  impatient  he  will  be  to  hear  the  verdict  of  success  regis- 
tered in  applause. 

For  one  thing,  the  opportunities  then  are  fewer.  As  a  re- 
sult, when  the  time  comes  that  the  younger  favorite  takes  the 
applause,  it  hits  hard,  wounds  deeply.  And  it  must  be  an  ex- 
ceptionally well-balanced  mind  that  can  be  philosophical 
about  it. 

Many  years  ago  when  the  entrancing  "lullaby"  and  the 
catchy  "Dickey  Bird"  song  from  "Erminie"  were  sung,  hum- 
med and  whistled  the  country  over  a  young  man  of  eighteen, 
after  studying  for  a  short  period  in  his  little  home  town,  was 
prevailed  upon  to  play  the  tenor  role  Eugene  in  "Erminie" 
at  an  amateur  performance  of  that  operetta  by  local  talent. 
He  wore  tights  that  evening,  his  legs  were  neither  bowed  nor 
knocked  at  the  knees,  but  fortunately  he  had  other  physical 
qualifications,  the  most  conspicuous  being  a  barrel-like  chest — 


252       THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

useful  to  the  singer — and  plenty  of  shoulder.  He  was  barely 
under  man's  coveted  six  feet,  and  he  had  a  man's  countenance 
and  a  man's  sweep  of  jaw.  For  some  time  he  lived  in  his 
"Erminie"  triumph.  He  practiced  vocal  exercises  about  the 
house,  built  a  few  air  castles  and  waited  for  a  knock  on  the 
front  door  that  he  felt  must  come  to  summon  him  to  singing 
fame  and  fortune.  A  knock  did  come,  though  different  from 
the  one  expected.  It  was  a  peremptory  command  to  sally 
forth  and  hustle  to  keep  the  family  going.  He  accepted  a 
position  as  salesman  on  the  road.  Whenever  he  made  a  stop 
he  always  hunted  up  a  singing  teacher  for  a  lesson  or  two. 
Almost  every  small  town  has  some  sort  of  a  vocal  instructor 
who  gives  lessons,  at  from  fifty  cents  to  a  dollar. 

Promiscuous  tutoring  brought  confusion  to  such  technical 
methods  as  he  employed,  for  singing  instructors,  though  aim- 
ing at  one  perfect  result,  have  a  marvelous  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  how  it  may  be  attained.  He  would  sing  his  high 
tones  in  a  certain  fashion  for  a  little  while,  change  teachers  and 
be  informed  that  everything  he  did  was  bad.  Then  he  began 
all  over  again. 

In  his  third  year  of  travel,  he  chanced  to  hear  a  first-class 
opera  company  in  a  performance  of  "II  Trovatore."  The 
impression  left  upon  him  fired  his  cherished  ambition  anew, 
and  it  blazed  to  hitherto  untouched  heights  as  he  read,  in  the 
reviews  printed  the  next  day  of  the  big  salaries  paid  some  of 
the  principals.  Near  the  close  of  summer  he  resigned  his 
position  as  salesman. 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    253 

Most  people  hold  an  erroneous  opinion  that  an  exceptional 
voice  alone  is  required  to  win  distinction  and  commensurate 
financial  rewards.  "He  has  a  great  voice"  asserts  the  average 
American.  "Why  doesn't  he  go  into  grand  opera*?  Caruso 
and  Titta  Ruffo  each  make  their  two  thousand  dollars  a 
night." 

They  do,  and  they  earn  it,  but  with  the  help  of  other  factors 
besides  their  glorious  voices. 

The  average  singer  counted  as  successful  and  the  celebrated 
prima  donna  alike,  call  business  sagacity  to  their  aid,  for  with- 
out it  they  never  go  the  distance  possible  otherwise. 

Right  here,  I  recall,  that  when  Adelina  Patti,  then  in  the 
zenith  of  her  powers,  attempted  to  give  some  concerts  in  the 
early  eighties  in  Steinway  Hall,  New  York,  under  the  manage- 
ment of  her  secretary,  who  was  not  conversant  with  the  Ameri- 
can method  of  management  or  publicity,  and  who  simply 
counted  upon  her  tremendous  reputation,  the  attendance  was 
pitiable,  so  much  so,  that  Henry  E.  Abbey  was  speedily  called 
into  requisition  and  after  a  lapse  of  three  weeks  during  which 
period  proper  advertising  and  direction  was  resorted  to,  the 
diva  again  appeared  at  Steinway  Hall  to  literally  "sold  out" 
houses ! 

If  the  truth  were  known  about  some  singers  who  win  high 
financial  recognition,  it  would  appear  that  their  musical  worth 
was  considerably  below  par.  With  such  competition  to  meet, 
the  meritorious  artist  must  be  up  and  doing  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, most  particularly  in  a  business  way. 


254      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

But  to  return  to  the  "Erminie"  tenor.  After  retiring  from 
his  position  as  salesman,  he  decided  to  take  up  singing  as  a 
life  work.  New  York,  as  now,  offered  the  broadest  oppor- 
tunities to  the  student.  Straightway  the  metropolis  became  the 
object  of  fascination  and  he  prepared  carefully  for  the  journey. 
He  had  three  hundred  dollars  saved,  which  he  judged  sufficient 
for  the  first  plunge  into  real  musical  waters.  He  first  at- 
tended one  of  the  many  conservatories,  but  left  it,  after  a 
certain  period  chastened,  though  not  discouraged;  sought  a 
church  choir  position  and  procured  it;  and  shortly  thereafter 
by  advice  of  some  student  friends  he  found  the  teacher  he  was 
looking  for,  who  combined  that  rare  quality  in  any  profession 
or  business — able  to  unite  theory  and  practice — and  in 
whose  private  studio,  he  felt  he  would  meet  singers  further 
advanced  than  those  at  the  conservatory,  and  also  gather  use- 
ful information  by  rubbing  shoulders  with  professionals  who 
showed  a  preference  for  "coaching"  with  independent  rather 
than  conservatory  instructors. 

His  new  voice  master — for  he  was  a  master — followed  the 
practice  of  many  teachers  regarding  reduced  rates.  There 
were  two  other  young  singers  besides  himself,  who  paid  two 
dollars  and  a  half  for  a  lesson  supposed  to  bring  twice  that 
amount.  This  concession  was  never  made  to  singers  unless 
they  had  very  good  voices.  The  voice  master  was  a  fair 
minded  man  who  believed  in  the  "square  deal"  policy  and  at 
his  suggestion  the  three  youngsters  pocketed  their  pride  and 
hunted  up  restaurants  that  were  willing  to  engage  soloists  for 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    255 

occasional  evenings  at  small  fees.  The  benefits  to  the  "trio" 
were  many  because  they  were  able  to  apply  in  public  the  prin- 
ciples taught  them  in  the  studio,  and  to  acquire  composure 
while  under  scrutiny  of  many  eyes. 

Singing  in  a  studio,  with  nothing  at  stake,  and  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  assemblage,  are  quite  different  affairs. 

Even  a  singer  who  feels  at  home  in  a  solo  sung  in  a  choir- 
loft,  may  find  his  knees  sagging,  once  he  steps  upon  the  con- 
cert platform.  Many  careers  never  materialize  for  singers 
solely  because  they  "go  to  pieces"  in  public;  and  though  some 
people  do  not  have  it  in  them  ever  to  conquer  stage  fright,  most 
of  them  by  frequently  appearing  before  large  and  small  audi- 
ences, manage  to  acquire  the  necessary  self-control. 

Considering  the  apparent  wealth  of  partially  developed 
singing  material  contained  in  New  York  and  other  cities  in 
America  it  seems  odd  that  comparatively  little  was  afterward 
heard  from.  Hardly  a  day  passed  that  did  not  bring  some 
splendid  soprano,  contralto,  tenor,  baritone  or  basso  to  the  at- 
tention of  the  musical  colony,  thus  adding  to  the  large  list 
expected  to  contribute  a  goodly  portion  of  artists  to  those 
who  had  "arrived." 

There  were  plenty  of  reasons,  however,  for  the  failure  of 
most  of  these  promising  young  singers  to  fulfill  expectations, 
though  one  after  another  heard  such  remarks  as:  "She  has  a 
beautiful  voice  and  sings  with  so  much  dash  that,  with  her 
delightful  personality,  nothing  should  be  impossible !"  Again, 
"Just  wait  until  that  young  man  is  heard  publicly  once  or 


256      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

twice ;  he  has  a  baritone  with  Amatos  quality,  and  a  physique 
as  well!" 

Remarks  like  these,  however,  seldom  mean  much,  for  they 
are  purely  superficial.  And  it  is  due  to  just  such  indiscrimi- 
nate praise  that  thousands  of  young  men  and  women  are  now 
battling  for  moderate  and  big  musical  opportunities  which  can 
never  be  wori  because  of  the  singer's  shortcomings,  shortcom- 
ings that  are  overlooked  in  an  appraisal  that  does  not  weigh 
every  essential  a  successful  vocalist  must  have. 

The  aforementioned  "trio"  on  off  restaurant  engagement 
nights,  made  it  a  point  to  attend  the  Metropolitan  Opera 
House,  where  perched  in  the  uppermost  gallery  they  heard 
such  artists  as  Jean  and  Edouard  de  Reszke,  Melba,  Eames, 
Nordica,  Scalchi  and  Plangon. 

One  afternoon  the  voice  master  received  a  mesage  from  one 
of  the  leading  musical  agencies  seeking  a  tenor  who  could 
sing  that  night  at  a  private  musicale;  for  agencies  are  some- 
times compelled  to  ask  assistance  of  teachers  when  their 
"listed"  artists  are  otherwise  engaged.  The  "Erminie"  tenor 
was  given  the  appearance  and  the  agency  manager,  who  was 
in  the  fashionable  audience  present,  asked  him  to  call  at  his 
office  the  next  day. 

Though  it  turned  out  to  be  one  of  those  fortunate  "starts" 
there  were  other  young  singers  given  similar  opportunities  who 
did  not  prove  so  lucky ;  for  luck  does  seem  sometimes  to  be  an 
element  in  singing  success.  In  this  instance  the  head  of  the 
musical  bureau  happened  to  be  a  guest  of  the  hostess  giving 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    257 

the  function,  and  he  also  happened  to  have  need  for  another 
young  tenor.  Directly  he  had  other  local  musicale  appear- 
ances, then  was  sent  to  neighboring  cities  to  sing  in  concerts 
of  modest  pretensions;  and  at  length  an  oratorio  engagement 
came. 

The  adage  "nothing  succeeds  like  success"  was  applicable  in 
his  case.  It  was  only  tiny  for  a  time  but  it  soon  began  to 
grow. 

A  society  woman,  belonging  to  the  class  known  as  "tenor 
worshippers"  recommended  him  for  numerous  private  musi- 
cales.  Her  patronage  proved  profitable,  until  he  incurred  her 
enmity  by  declining  luncheon,  dinner  and  other  invitations  so 
numerous  that,  had  they  been  accepted,  they  would  have  seri- 
ously interfered  with  his  work. 

At  the  end  of  his  fourth  year  in  New  York  he  decided  that 
before  opera  house  doors  would  be  open  to  him,  further  expe- 
rience in  Europe  would  be  necessary.  So  he  sailed.  His 
equipment  when  he  reached  his  foreign  destination  was  better 
than  eight  out  of  ten  Americans  who  go  to  the  other  side.  He 
spoke  Italian  almost  fluently,  French  fairly  well  and  had  some 
knowledge  of  German.  Not  only  was  his  tone  production 
proper  and  secure,  but  he  had  memorized  nine  first  tenor  roles 
in  standard  grand  operas  and  had  been  coached  in  the  dramatic 
action  of  all.  A  further  security  was  furnished  by  a  substan- 
tial balance  he  had  in  his  New  York  bank. 

In  the  next  six  months  he  learned  something  about  singers 
studying  in  Milan,  Florence  and  Rome,  singers  from  all 


258      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

countries.  Americans,  the  strongest  numerically,  were  flound- 
ering about  in  ignorance  of  every  sort.  Only  a  small  percent- 
age of  them  knew  the  Italian  language,  an  opera  repertoire  and 
had  a  proper  method  of  tone  production  and  through  poor  ad- 
vice and  lack  of  intelligent  procedure  fell  into  the  hands  of 
ordinary  or  incompetent  teachers.  Americans  who  were  lucky 
enough  to  select  or  have  selected  for  them  efficient  singing 
teachers  got  on — some  splendidly,  and  all  knew  that  when 
they  were  ready  for  debuts,  money  could  procure  them. 

During  those  six  months  he  studied  assiduously  with  one  of 
Italy's  most  distinguished  and  capable  maestros  whose  influ- 
ence was  far-reaching,  and  in  another  month  found  him  pre- 
paring calmly  for  his  operatic  debut  as  Rodolfo  in  Puccini's 
"La  Boheme." 

The  favorable  reception  accorded  him  by  an  Italian  audience 
in  a  small  theater  in  one  of  the  unimportant  towns  occasioned 
no  surprise.  He  was  well  equipped  for  his  career,  at  that 
point  of  it  surely;  and  though  he  was  not  satisfied  with  his 
efforts,  it  seemed  that  the  people  present,  who  knew  their 
opera,  were.  His  action  was  stiff,  but  he  experienced  a  nerv- 
ous exhilaration  but  no  sense  of  consuming  fear. 

He  had  nearly  twenty  appearances  with  that  mediocre  com- 
pany, then  came  a  rest  due  to  the  ending  of  the  season.  His 
salary  was  ridiculously  small,  the  theater  was  dingy  and  most 
of  the  principals  of  second-rate  ability,  but  he  didn't  mind; 
he  was  acquiring  experience.  One  role  he  appeared  in  twelve 
times  with  a  few  chances  at  three  others.  Thus  he  gathered 


THE  THEATRICAL  SITUATION  OF  TO-DAY    259 

confidence,  vocal  and  dramatic  freedom,  and  learned  tricks 
of  the  trade  that  come  only  under  professional  conditions. 

One  night  as  the  engagement  was  approaching  a  conclusion 
the  manager  of  an  opera  house  in  a  good  sized  Italian  city 
visited  his  dressing  room.  He  had  heard  of  him  and  after 
sitting  through  a  performance,  expressed  his  willingness  to 
place  him  in  his  company  for  the  ensuing  season.  •  He  accepted 
the  offer  carrying  a  small  monthly  salary. 

A  similar  experience  came  to  him  ten  months  afterward 
during  an  operatic  presentation  in  a  more  pretentious  opera 
house,  but  this  time  the  engagement  laid  before  him  was  for 
the  United  States  and  by  an  American  impresario.  The  tour 
was  to  begin  in  November  and  last  until  the  middle  of  the 
following  March,  and  he  was  to  be  the  first  tenor,  have  forty 
appearances  guaranteed,  with  an  assurance  of  being  heard  in 
ten  roles,  and  certain  publicity  featuring;  the  salary  was  a 
fair  one.  He  accepted  the  terms,  signed  the  contract  and 
fulfilled  his  part  of  it  in  the  winter  that  followed.  And  it  all 
goes  to  illustrate  that  in  many  instances  patience,  push  and 
energy  win  out. 


THE  AMERICAN  PALACE  OF  ART 


CHAPTER  XIV 
THE  AMERICAN  PALACE  OF  ART 

Proposed  Plan  for  a  Palace  of  Art  for  Washington,  D.  C,  to 
Comprise  a  Conservatory  of  Music  and  School  of  Dramatic 
Art — The  Scope  and  Details  of  This  Suggested  National 
Institution. 

AS  far  back  as  1905,  in  Paris,  I  proposed  the  organiza- 
tion of  a  society  for  the  management  of  European 
debuts  for  worthy  American  students  gratis.      My 
proposal  in  a  letter  to  the  Paris  Herald,  was  cabled  over  to 
the  New  York  Herald,  and  read  as  follows : 

Herald  Bureau, 

No.  49  Avenue  de  1'Opera, 

Paris,  Oct.  I7th,  1905. 
To  the  Editor  of  the  Herald:— 

After  many  years  of  discussion,  without  action,  there  has  at  last 
been  developed  a  plan  for  advancing  American  musical  talent  that 
is  promised  the  warm  support  and  active  co-operation  of  music 
lovers,  concert  and  opera  goers  in  the  principal  cities  of  Europe  and 
the  United  States. 

This  is  not  a  project  to  educate  American  students,  but  it  begins 
where  education  leaves  off  and  at  a  point  where  so  many  talented 
musicians  are  compelled  to  drop  back  and  sink  out  of  sight  with 
the  goal  in  reach ;  for  it  is  well  known  that  the  success  of  a  musi- 
cian depends  upon  the  debut  at  some  European  center,  and  this 
debut  costs  money. 

263 


264      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

It  is  ofttimes  the  barrier  between  failure  and  a  successful  career. 
Without  the  eclat  of  such  debut,  to  say  nothing  of  the  recognition 
it  brings,  no  manager  of  repute  will  undertake  the  direction  of  an 
artist. 

It  is  then  at  this  point  that  the  great  number  of  American  students 
in  Europe  and  the  United  States,  the  majority  well  equipped  for 
public  careers,  fail.  They  lack  the  financial  means  to  take  the 
next  essential  step. 

With  this  idea  is  formed  the  Agence  Musicale  Internationale,  a 
semi-philanthropy. 

From  funds  subscribed  a  number  of  concerts  are  to  be  given 
annually  in  Paris,  London,  Berlin,  Vienna  and  Milan,  where  those 
students  judged  worthy  and  sufficiently  talented  will  be  given,  with- 
out any  charge  whatsoever,  an  opportunity  to  make  their  debut 
under  the  most  favorable  auspices. 

It  is  for  this  laudable  project  that  I  ask  the  New  York  Herald 
to  receive  subscriptions,  recognizing  the  interest  that  it  has  stead- 
fastly evinced  in  the  elevation  of  American  art  and  artists. 

My  long  experience  in  musical  enterprises  in  the  United  States 
and  Europe,  convince  me  that  with  the  Herald's  aid,  its  success 
is  assured,  and  I  shall  be  pleased  to  take  charge  of  the  preliminary 
arrangements  and  management  of  the  concerts. 
Cordially  yours, 

RUDOLPH  ARONSON. 


M.  Jean  de  Reszke,  among  many  other  prominent  artists 
in  Paris  heartily  endorsed  my  plans,  as  signified  by  him  in  the 
following  letter: 

Paris,  November  2Oth,  1905. 
Dear  Mr.  Aronson: — 

Your  suggestion  to  create  a  fund  for  the  purpose  of  giving  one 
or  two  concerts  with  orchestra  and  famous  artists,  annually,  in  the 
principal  music  centers  of  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  "bringing 


THE  AMERICAN  PALACE  OF  ART          265 

out"  worthy  American  students  free  of  any  cost  to  them  whatso- 
ever, is  a  capital  one,  and  should  have  the  hearty  co-operation  of  the 
thousands  of  American  music  lovers  at  home  and  abroad. 
Very  truly  yours, 

JEAN  DE  RESZKE. 


This  matter  lagged  along  for  years,  and  from  it  was 
evolved  the  idea  of  constructing  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  the 
American  Palace  of  Art  which  now  (1912)  has  my  most 
serious  consideration. 

The  American  Palace  of  Art  will  aim  to  combine  a  Na- 
tional Conservatory  of  Music  for  all  branches  of  study,  vocal 
and  instrumental,  under  the  tutorship  of  the  best  professors 
procurable  in  America  and  Europe,  free  of  charge,  and  thus 
avoid  the  difficulties,  the  expense,  the  danger,  which  beset  our 
would-be  students  abroad,  far  away  from  their  relatives  and 
friends,  and  on  the  completion  of  their  studies  at  this  Con- 
servatory, opportunities  would  be  offered  them  to  "go  on"  at 
the  opera-houses  in  New  York,  Chicago,  Boston  and  Phila- 
delphia and  eventually  in  Paris,  London,  Berlin,  Vienna  and 
Milan.  There  is  also  planned  a  School  of  Dramatic  Art  and 
Theater  for  operatic  and  dramatic  performances,  its  large 
stage  and  tier  of  boxes  to  permit  the  giving  of  a  short  season 
of  grand  opera  from  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  New 
York.  There,  too,  meritorious  works  of  American  composers, 
with  adequate  casts  of  American  artists  and  American  chorus 
would  be  first  presented,  and  also  many  first  performances  of 
the  better  class  of  plays,  musical  comedies,  operettas,  etc. 


266      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

(before  presentations  in  the  larger  cities  of  the  United  States), 
during  the  fall  and  winter,  before  discriminating  and  highly 
cultivated  audiences,  such  as  Washington  then  affords.  The 
large  foyer  of  the  theater  would  be  used  for  exposition  of 
paintings  by  talented  American  artists.  A  concert  hall  is 
planned  with  a  stage  sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  the 
Boston  Symphony  Orchestra  in  its  entirety  and  other  famous 
organizations,  and  where  orchestral  and  band  concerts,  vocal 
and  instrumental  recitals  can  take  place.  Both  theater  and 
concert  hall  are  to  have  an  adequate  number  of  seats  at  pop- 
ular prices  in  balconies  and  galleries,  a  long-felt  want  in 
Washington. 

These  buildings  are  to  be  surmounted  by  a  roof  garden 
sufficient  in  area  to  accommodate  5,000  persons.  Here,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  regular  concerts,  great  meetings,  and  musical 
festivals  could  be  given. 

Washington,  as  the  capital  of  the  United  States,  and  as 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  cities,  is  the  ideal  and  only  place 
for  this  project,  which  is  national  in  scope,  and  it  is  expected 
that  the  returns  from  the  theater,  opera,  concert  hall  and 
roof  garden  will  be  more  than  sufficient  to  make  the  National 
Conservatory  of  Music  and  School  of  Dramatic  Art  self-sup- 
porting. 

I  have  procured  an  option,  for  this  vast  enterprise,  on  a 
piece  of  property  in  the  most  central  residence  locality  of 
Washington,  one-third  again  larger  than  Madison  Square 
Garden  in  New  York. 


THE  AMERICAN  PALACE  OF  ART          267 

Any  number  of  distinguished  persons  have  endorsed  this 
project  most  heartily  and  they  include  Monsignor  Thomas  J. 
Shahan,  rector  of  the  Catholic  University  of  America  at 
Washington,  the  famous  bandmaster  and  composer,  Mr.  John 
Philip  Sousa,  and  Mr.  Heinrich  Hammer,  director  of  the 
Washington  Symphony  Society. 

On  Sunday,  October  8th,  1911,  the  Washington  Evening 
Star  published  the  following  editorial : 

THE    NATIONAL    ART    CENTER 

Mr.  Rudolph  Aronson's  appreciation  of  Washington  as  the  ideal 
American  artistic  center  may  not  immediately  lead  to  the  creation 
here  of  an  institution  or  a  structure  or  any  other  tangible  token, 
but  it  must  nevertheless  advance  the  day  of  the  capital's  recogni- 
tion as  the  truly  national  intellectual  focus.  For  many  years  con- 
ditions have  been  tending  toward  the  development  of  the  District 
in  this  respect.  The  Government's  own  establishments  have  given 
to  Washington  a  scientific  equipment  second  to  none  in  the  world. 
Educators  have  recognized  its  exceptional  advantages  as  a  field 
of  work.  A  marked  influx  of  people  of  wealth  and  leisure  and 
taste  has  been  in  progress  for  two  decades,  until  Washington  is 
now  for  fully  half  of  each  year  a  place  of  residence  of  many  of 
the  country's  leaders  in  all  lines  of  thought.  The  local  population 
grows  rapidly  and  lacks  many  of  the  elements  that  in  other  cities 
tend  to  affect  unfortunately  the  quiet  and  comfort  and  artistic  at- 
mosphere. There  is  no  such  inordinate  rush  as  to  prevent  a  ra- 
tional enjoyment  of  wholesome  pleasures,  and  the  average  of  culture 
among  the  population  is  exceptionally  high. 

In  these  circumstances  it  is  not  remarkable  that  from  various 
sources  should  come  at  different  times  suggestions  of  institutional 
developments  here  utilizing  the  national  spirit  and  the  high  grade 
of  intellectual  life  which  finds  in  Washington  an  ideal  field. 
Artists,  singers,  musicians,  writers,  scientists,  all  who  are  active  in 


268      THEATRICAL  AND  MUSICAL  MEMOIRS 

the  realm  of  mind  are  here,  eminent  members  of  their  professions 
and  specialties.  There  is  a  growing  local  encouragement  of  their 
efforts.  Here  is  a  public  that  could  undoubtedly  support  any  first- 
class  artistic  institution  properly  founded  and  maintained.  Mr. 
Aronson's  specific  idea  is  of  building  a  great  building  modeled  on 
Grecian  lines  where  could  be  given  the  most  attractive  and  sig- 
nificant musical  performances  this  country  enjoys.  His  ideal  is 
inspiring,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  it  is  to  be  realized.  Such  an 
institution  as  he  conceived  would  add  immeasurably  to  the  cap- 
ital's equipment  and  virtually  establish  it  beyond  cavil  as  the  Amer- 
ican center  of  art. 


INDEX  OF  NAMES 


INDEX  OF  NAMES 


(Note. — For  reference  to  illustrations  see  list  in  the  front  of  the  book.) 


Abbey  &  Grau,  176. 

Abbey,  Henry  K,  81,  82,  83,  253. 

Abbey,  Maurice,  109. 

Abell,  Arthur  M.,  211. 

Abbot,  Bessie,  225. 

Abbott  Opera  Co.,  Emma,  98. 

Academy   of   Music,    N.    Y.,   4,    149, 

ISO,   151- 

Actors'  Fund  of  America,  195. 
Adams,   Fanny,    107. 
Adams,  Hamilton,  107. 
"Adonis,"    158. 
Aeolian  Company,   126. 
Aiken,  E.  H.,  105. 
Aimee,   Marie,  220. 
Ainsworth,    Edith,    108. 
Albani,  Emma,  7,  210. 
Alcazar  in  Paris,  30. 
Aldrich,  Mariska,  225. 
Allan,   Maud,   211,  212. 
Allen,  Jeannette,  226. 
Allen,   Rudolph,    126. 
Allyn,  Helen,  226. 
Alten,  Bella,  234. 
Alvary,  Max,  171. 
Ambassadeurs  in  Paris,  30,  31,  57. 
Amberg   Opera   Company,   221. 
American    Palace    of   Art,    264,   265 

266,   267. 

American   Register  of  Paris,   n. 
"Amenta,"  66,  86,  106,  no. 
Andrews,   Carrie,  106. 
Angele,  Mile.,  220. 
Au   Menestrel   in   Paris,   41. 
"Apajune,"   105,   no. 
Apel,  Lillian,  122. 
Appleby,  George,  105. 
Applegate,    Bella,   226. 
Appleton,  Daniel  S.,  32. 
Appleton,  William  H.,  27. 
"Apollo,"  69,   109,   in. 
Arcadian  Club,  New  York,  8. 
Archer,  Belle,    105. 
Archer,  Herbert,  105. 
Arliss,  George,   183. 


Armoux,  Wm.  H.,  160. 
Arnold,  Sir  Edwin,  48,  133. 
Aronson,  Albert,  29. 
Aronson,  Edward,   6,   29. 
Aronson,  Joseph,  4. 
Aronson,  Norman,    147. 
Astor  Place  Opera  House,  31. 
Astor,  Mrs.,   163. 
Astor,  Mrs.   John   Jacob,    163. 
Astor,  Waldorf,   167. 
Auchincloss,  E.  S.,  34. 
Auditorium,  Chicago,  178. 
Audran,  Edmond,   109,  201,  202,  220. 
Aujac,  M.,  210. 

Austro-German    Operettas,    223,    230, 
233,  235. 


"Babette,"  227. 
Baker,   F.,  34. 
Baker,  George  F.,  33,  53. 
Baldwin,  C.  C,  33- 
Ballou,  George  W.,  33- 
Banner,  Michael,  84,  159. 
Baring,  Francis,  D.   E.,  237. 
Barker,  Richard,  71,  72,  93,  99,  Hi- 
Barlow,  Billie,  104,  106. 
Barnabee,  Henry  Clay,   126,  234. 
Barnett,   Alice,    105,   106. 
Barney,  Charles  T.,  33. 
Barnum's  Circus,  26. 
Baron  Bezecny,  122. 
Baron  Von  Hegenmuller,  163. 
Barrison,    Mabel,   236. 
Barry,    Florence,    107. 
Barrymore,  Georgie  Drew,   195- 
Bartlett,  Homer  N.,  128. 
Bartlett's  Washington  Hotel,  147- 
Bassett,  Charles,  87,   109,   no,  126. 
Bates,  L.  M.,  34- 
Bauer,  A.   B.   126. 
Beaudet,  Louise,  109. 
Beaudet,  Rose,  68,  104,  106. 
Beckett,  Harry,  219. 
Beckwith,  Carroll,   113- 


271 


272 


INDEX 


Beckwith,   N.   M.,  34. 

Beebe,  George  L.,  126. 

Beebe,  Mary,   105. 

Beecher,   Rosalba,   105. 

Beeth,  Lola,  121. 

Beggar  Student,  61,  86,   104,   no. 

Belasco,  David,  224. 

Bell,  Digby,  52,  104,  105. 

Bell,  Florence,  105,   106,  108,  160. 

Bell,  Isaac,  32. 

Bellini,  7,  184. 

Bellini,  Laura,  87,   109. 

Belmont,    Frances,    236,    237,    238. 

Bemister,   Florence,    105. 

Bensande,  David   de,  96. 

Bergmann,  Carl,  4,  5. 

Bernhardt,  Sarah,  156,   157,  193,  246. 

Bernheimer,  L.  S.,  126. 

Bernstein,   Sigmund,   126. 

Berry,    Agnes,   225. 

Betz,  Franz,  12. 

Beveridge,    Albert   J.,    187. 

Bibby,    Henry    W.,    33- 

Bibeyran,  M.  de,  94. 

Biedermann,   Frau,   120. 

Bijou  Theater,  49,  80,  160,  161. 

Billie  Taylor,  64,  66,   105,  no. 

Bishop,  Heber  R.,  34. 

Bismarck,  Count  von,  183. 

Bizet,  Georges,  21. 

Bizet's  Carmen,  21. 

Black  Crook,  227,  230. 

Blacque,  V.  A.,  33. 

Blaisdell,  Wm'.,  165. 

Blakely,  David,  126. 

Blass,  Robert,  226. 

Blenner,    Carl,    113. 

Bliss,  Cornelius  N.,  32. 

Blumenberg,  Louis,  52,  83. 

Boelen,  Carrie,   109. 

Bomeisler,  C.  M.,  126. 

Bonawitz,  J.  H.,  5. 

Bonci,   Signor,   191. 

Boucicault,  Dion,  220. 

Bonfanti,   Madame,  227. 

Booth   (The  Elder),  149. 

Bosendorfer,   Herr,   122. 

Bostonians,  The,  234. 

Boston  Museum,  238. 

Boston  Peace  Jubilee,  4,   182. 

Boston  Symphony  Orchestra,  266. 

Bouhy,  Jacques,   18. 

Bracy,   Sidney,  234. 

Braham,  John,   in. 


Brahms,   Johannes,    121,   122,    162. 

Brand,  John  E.,  107,  108. 

Brazilian,  The,  69,   108,  in,  177. 

Breese,  Miss  Aloise,  128. 

Breese,  James  L.,  53. 

Brenner,   Dr.   Ludwig  von,  9. 

Brigands,  The,  69,  93,  107,  in. 

Brighton  Beach,  181. 

Brignoli,  7. 

Brill,  Herr,  122. 

Bristow,  B.  H.,  34. 

Broadway  Theater,  30,   165,  222. 

Broderick,  Geo.,   107. 

Bronze  Figure  Group,  113. 

Brown,  G.  J.,  34. 

Brown,  H.  C,  33. 

Brown,  J.  G.,  113,  114. 

Brown,  Jos.  H.,  34. 

Brown,  M.  B.,  33. 

Buisseret,   Count  de,   186,   187. 

Biilow,  Hans  von,  95. 

Burdett,  Jno.  L.,   129. 

Burnham,  N.  S.,  107,  108. 

Burnham,  Gordon,  149. 

Burton,  Carrie,  104. 

Butler,  Charles  Henry,   126. 


Cady.   Harriet,   122. 
Cahier,   Mme.   Charles,   226. 
Calef,  A.  H.,  34. 
Calvin,  D.  C,  27. 
Cambridge,  Duke  of,   179. 
Cameron,  Edw.,  105. 
Cameron,  Violet,  95,  96. 
Campanini,    Italo,    7,    152. 
Campbell,   Charles,  52,   104,   107,   108, 

109. 

Capoul,  Victor,  7,  18,  52,  220. 
Cardinal!,  Signor,  151. 
Carl,  Rosa,   149. 
Carl,  Wm.  C.,  128. 
Carleton,  Wra  T.,   104,   106. 
Carmencita.    169. 
Carnegie  Hall,  New  York,   168,  175, 

Carnochan,  Dr.,   148. 

Carreno,   Teresa,   52,    161. 

Carroll,  Richard  F.,  108,  126,  195. 

Carson,  Emma,  104. 

Carte,  R.  D'Oyley,  47,  48,  99. 

Caruso,  Enrico,  244,  253. 

Cary,  Anna  Louise,  7. 

Case,  Anna,  226. 


INDEX 


273 


Casino,  New  York,  29,  34,  35,  37,  38, 
39,  93,  151,  176,  177,  178,  IQ2,  203, 

221. 

Casino  Comic  Opera  Co.,  92. 
Casino  Roof  Garden,  30,  57,  180. 
Castle  Garden  (N.  Y.),  29. 
Castle,  William,  106. 
Catenhusen,   Ernst,  50,    in,   126. 
Catholic  University  of  America,  267. 
Cavalleria  Rusticana,  69,  86,  87,  109, 

in. 

Cavan,  Marie,  225. 
Celli,  Frank,  106. 
Celli,  A.  Murio,  126. 
Central   Park  Garden,  8,   127. 
Chambers,   Paris,  41. 
Champney,   J.   Wells,    113. 
Chandler,  D'Alma,  225. 
Charlick,  G.   B.,  34. 
Chase,  William  M.,  113,  114. 
Chassaigne,   F.,  69,   71,  94,   104,    107, 

177,    178,    222. 

Cheatham,  Kitty,  106. 

Cheeseman,  James,   148. 

dickering  &  Sons,  155. 

Child  of  Fortune,  69,  no,  in. 

"Chocolate  Soldier,"  223. 

Choudens,   Pere  et  Fils,  203. 

Church,  F.  S.,  113. 

Church   Company,   John,    126. 

Cisneros,  Eleanor  de,  225. 

Clare,   Ethel,    105. 

Clark,  George  C,  33. 

Claustine,  Ivan,  212. 

Clews,  Henry,  53. 

Closson,  J.  T.,  33. 

Coghlan,  Rose,   195. 

Cohan  &  Harris,  207. 

Cohen,   Meyer,   152,   153. 

Cole,  William  A.,  27. 

Collins,  Laura  F.,   126. 

Columbia     College     Dramatic     Club, 

169. 

Columbia  Theater,  N.  Y.,  221. 
Coudray,   Clara,    107,    no. 
Connor,  Washington  E.,  33. 
Conried,  Heinrich,  66,  87,  94,  in,  214. 
Conried  Opera  Company,  221. 
Conried,   Richard,  66. 
Constable,  James  M.,  32. 
Conterno,  Luciano,  126. 
Cooper,   Edward,   27,   34. 
Corbin,    Austin,   34,    180,    181. 
Cort,  John,   188,  207. 


Cirque    dfHiver    (Paris),   8,    17. 

Cortelyou,    George    B.,    189. 

Cotterill,  Geo.   W.,  27. 

Cottrelly,  Mathilde,  50,  104,  105,  126. 

"Count  of  Luxembourg,"  223,  234. 

Covent  Garden,  London,  191. 

Cowles,  Eugene,  234. 

Craft,  Marcella,  226. 

Crane,   Albert,   126. 

Creelman,  James,  86. 

Cripps,  E.,  104. 

Cromwell,   Fredk.,   128. 

_Cruikshank,  Wm.,  33. 

Count  Kinsky,  122. 

Curtis,  Geo.  Wm.,   130. 

Curtis,  Dr.  H.  Holbrook,  129. 

Cushman,   Mrs.,   149. 

Cutting,  A.,  53. 

Cutting,  Robt.  L.  Jr.,  33. 

Czibulka,  Alfons,  66,  106,  221. 

Daboll,  Wm.  S.,  68,  71,  106. 

Dachauer,  Louis,  10. 

D'Albert,  Eugene,   162,  176. 

Daly,  Lizzie  D.,  no. 

Damon,  G.  F.,  34. 

Damrosch,  Dr.   Leopold,   10. 

Damrosch,  Walter,  95,  126,  128,  168. 

D'Angelis,  Jeff.,   109,    no,    126. 

Daniels,  Frank,  236. 

Darclee,  Madame,  184. 

D'Arville,  Camille,   108,   178. 

Davenport,  Eva,   106,   108,   109. 

Davenport,  Harry,  160. 

Davies,  W.  G.,  33. 

Davis,  D.  A.,  34. 

Davis,    Jessie    Bartlett,   234. 

Davis,  Kate,   160. 

Dayton,  A.   H'.,  34. 

Dean,  Frederick,  128. 

Decourcey,  Florence,  226. 

De  Forest,  Mrs.  Geo.  B.,  163. 

De  Forest,  W.  H.,  33- 

De  Koven,  Reginald,   126,  222. 

De  Koven  &  Smith,  115,  234. 

Delaro,  Elma,  107. 

De  Marchi,  Signer,  184. 

Dennin,  Georgie,   106,   108. 

De  Novellis,  A.,  in,  126. 

Depew,  Chauncey  M.,  32. 

Del   Puente,   Signor,  7. 

De  Rivera,  H.  C,  34- 

Derivis,  Mme.,  52. 

De  Ruyfher,  Julia,  52,  104. 


274 


INDEX 


Diaz,  Rafaelo,  226. 

Dickson,   Georgie,    106. 

Dillaway,  George  W.}  28. 

Dillingham,   Chas.,  207. 

Dippel,   Andreas,    188. 

Disraeli,   Benjamin,   183. 

Ditrichstein,  Leo,   126. 

Ditson,  Charles  H'.,  126,  128. 

Dixey,   Henry  E.,    158. 

Doenhoff,  Mme.  von,  87,  109. 

"Dollar  Princess,"  223. 

Donaldson,  Drew,   108,  109. 

Donaldson,   Jennie,   108. 

Donizetti,  7,  184. 

Dowd,  Wm.,  34. 

Downing,  A.  C.  Jr.,  34. 

Doxrud,  Captain,   186. 

Draper,  John   H.,   33. 

Draper,   Mrs.   Henry,   128. 

Drew,  Chas.  H.,   108,  165. 

Drexel,  Jos.  W.,  34,  53. 

Drum,  Major,  69,   108,  HI. 

Dubois,  Theodore,   159. 

Duchess  of  Marlborough,  185. 

Duff,  James  C.,   126. 

Duff  Opera  Company,  J.   C.,  221. 

Duff,  W.  H.,  34. 

Duke  of  Cambridge,    180. 

Duke  of  Edinburgh,   179. 

Duke   de  Tarnames,    158. 

Duke  of  Teck,   180. 

Dungan,  Charles,   105. 

Duncan,   Isadora,  211. 

Dunkl,  Norbert,  165,  166,  167,  190. 

Durand,  Emile,  8,  17,  25. 

Durkee,  H.,  34. 

Duvernoy,    M.,    20. 

Dyer,  Mrs.   Elisha,  Jr.,   163. 

Dyett,   Arthur,  34. 

Eames,  Emma,  154,  195,  225,  256. 

Earl  of  Latham,  180. 

Edouin,  Willie,  67,  236. 

Edwardes,  George,  223. 

Edwards,  Lewis,  34. 

Ehret,  Frank,  33. 

Ehret,  George,  126. 

Eilers,   Albert,   12. 

Elliot,  G.  Emil,   126. 

Elliott,   Maxine,  208. 

El  Menebbi,   137,   139,   140,   142,   143. 

Emperor  of  Germany,    II,   12. 

"Enchantress,   The,"  233. 

Engalli,   Madame,    18. 


Englaender,  Ludwig,  126,  222. 

Epstein,  M.  I.,  126. 

Erdelyi     Naczi's     Hungarian     Band, 

169,  180. 
"Erminie,"  66,  67,  68,  69,  70,  71,  91, 

92,  93,  95,  101,  102,  106,  no,  169, 

194,  235,  251,  256. 
Espinosa,  M.,  113. 
Ethel,  Kate,  105. 

Fahnestock,   H.    C,   33. 

"Falka,"  104,  no,  177,  178. 

Fall,  Dr.  Leo,  223. 

Fano,   Franco,    184. 

Farnham,   Paulding,    124. 

Farrar,  Geraldine,  225. 

Farrington,  Nina,  160. 

Fay,  Maud,  226. 

Fearing,  Chas.  F.,  33. 

Feinniger,   Karl,   129. 

Felix,  Herr,  120. 

Fencing  Master,   115. 

Ferrers,  Rene,  107. 

Fessenden,  W.  H.,  105. 

Field,  Cyrus  W.,  32. 

Figman,  Max,  109,  126. 

Fish,  Mrs.   Stuyvesant,   163. 

Fisher,  Bernice,  226. 

Fiske,  Josiah,  M.,  27. 

Fitch,  Dr.,  148. 

Fitch,  Letitia,  106. 

Fitzgerald,  W.   H.,   106. 

"Fledermaus,  Die,"  105,  no,  223. 

"Florodora,"  222,  235,  236,  244. 

Fogg,  Wm.  H.,  32. 

Folsom,  Agnes,  68,  105,  106. 

Foote,  Arthur,  128. 

Foote,  C.  B.,  33. 

Formes,  Carl,   149. 

Fornia,  Rita,  225. 

Forrest,  Edwin,  149. 

Fosdick,  C.  B.,  33. 

Franko,   Nahan,   126. 

Frary,  Julia,  236. 

Frascati's   (in  Paris),  30. 

Freeman,  Max,  68,  93,  106,  107,  in, 

126. 

Fremstad,  Olive,  225. 
French,  F.  O.,  27. 
French,  T.  Henry,  70,  95. 
Frew,  John,  189. 
Froehlich,  L.,  126. 
Frohman,  Charles,  93,  207. 
Frothingham,  B.  T.,  128. 


INDEX 


275 


Frothingham,  George,  234. 
Fuchs,  Robert,  121,  122. 
Fuenkenstein,  L.,   126. 
Fuller,  Loie,  79,  80,  81,  109,  210. 
Furey,  J.  A..   104,  105,  106,  107,  108, 
160. 

Gaites,  Jos.  M.,  207. 
Gambrinus    (in   London),    182. 
Gantwoorst,    Carl,    234. 
Garcia,  Madame,   149. 
Garden,  Mary,  225. 
Gardner,  Mrs.  John  L.,  128. 
Garland,  James  A.,  33. 
Garrick,    149. 
Garrison,  Wm,  R.,  27. 
Gaston,  George,  50,  52,  104. 
Gates,  Lucy,  225. 
Gerardi,  Herr,  120. 
Gericke,  Herr,  122. 
Gerson,  Edmond,  67. 
Gerster,  Etelka,  7. 
Gerrish,   Sylvia,    106,    107,    108,    109. 
Geyer,  Steffi,  167. 
Gilbert,  W.  S.,  100. 
Gilbert  &  Sullivan,  48,  52,  69,  98,  99, 
ioo,  104,  105,  107,  222,  230,  232. 
Gilmore,  Edward  G.,  26. 
Gilmore,  Patrick  S.,  4,  26,  181. 
Gilmore's  Band    84. 
Gilmore's  Garden,  26. 
Gilroy,  Thomas  F.,  158. 
Giraldoni,   Signer,    184. 
Girpux,   Marion,    105. 
Gisicko,  Alexis,   106. 
Glentworth,  Mr.,  122. 
Globe  Theater   (Boston),   169. 
Glosz,   Rosemary,    165. 
Gluck,  Alma,  225. 
Goatcher,    Philip,    ill. 
Goddard,   C,  33. 
Godfrey,   Lieut.   Dan.,   181,   182. 
Godowsky,  Leopold,  83,  159,  182,  183. 
Goelet,  Robert,  53. 
Golden,  Grace,  87,  108. 
Goldmark,  Herr,  122. 
Goldmark,  Leo,  126. 
Goldschmidt,  Herr,  122". 
Gondoliers,  The,  99.   ioo. 
Goodrich,  Edna,  236. 
Goodrich,  Eva,  106. 
Goodwin,  James  J..  27. 
Goodwin,  Nat  C.  80,  169,  236. 
Gordon,  H.  S.,  126. 


Gordon,  Louise,   105. 

Gorlitz,  Hugo,  166,  167. 

Gortschakoff,  183. 

Gould,  George  J.,  34. 

Gould,  Mrs.  George  J.,  163. 

Gounod,  Charles,  7,  20,  38,  39,  153. 

Graham,  Robt.  E.,  236. 

Graninger,  C.  A.,  126. 

"Grand  Duchess,"  69,  93,  95,  108,  in, 

219. 

Grand  Duke  Alexis,  7. 
Grant,  Jesse  R.,  33. 
Grant,  General  U.  S.,  97. 
Grant,  U.  S.,  Jr.,  33. 
Grau,  Maurice,  47,  48,  49,  51,  220. 
Grau,  Samuel,  49. 
Gray,  Bryce,  34. 
Green,  Rachel  Frease,  225. 
Greene,  Daisy,  236. 
Greensfelder,  Jos.  S.,  50,  104. 
Gregory,  Charles,  33. 
Grenad'ier  Guards  Band,  181. 
Grisi,  Madame,  149. 
Griswold,  Chester,  33. 
Griswold,  J.  N.  A.,  28. 
Griswold,  Putnam,  226. 
Gross,  Theodore  C.,  126. 
Grossmith,  George,  99. 
Grosvenor,  May,  108. 
Grubb,  Lillian,  75,  107. 
Griihl,  Dr.,  122. 
Grun,  Friderike.   12. 
Grunfeld,  Alfred,  121,  122. 
Guernsey,  Charlotte,  225. 
Guiraud,  Mr.,  20. 
Gung'l,  Josef,  31,  32. 
Gunther,  Wm.  H'.,  27. 
Gypsy  Baron,  66,  86,  106,  no. 
"Gypsy  Love,"  223. 

Haas.  M.  F.  H.  de,  113- 

Haggin,  R.  A.,  33. 

Hall,  Annette,  105. 

Hall,  Fred,   108. 

Hall,  Josie,  106. 

Hall,   Pauline,  68,   102.   103,   106,   108, 

112,  194,  195,  234. 
Hall,  Wm.  Frank,  126. 
Hallam,  Henry,   106,   107,   108,  igS- 
H'allgarten,  Adolph,  27. 
Hallgarten,  Julius,  27. 
Halm,  George  R.,  113- 
Halton,  Marie,   108,   178. 
Hamburg,  Mark,   182. 


276 


INDEX 


Hamilton,  W.  N.,  33- 

Hamilton,  Wm.,  105. 

Hamlin,   George,   226. 

Hamlin,  Harry,  104. 

Hammer,  Heinrich,  267. 

Hammerstein,  Oscar,  87,  126,  191,  192. 

Hanley,  Emma,  106,   no. 

Hannah,  Jane  Osborn,  225. 

Hanslick,  Eduard,  121,  122. 

Harding,   Phil.   E.,  34. 

Harland,   Ada,  219. 

Harms  &  Co.,  T.  B.,  126. 

Harold,  Orville,  226. 

Harriman,  J.  Low,  33. 

Harriman,   Wm.,  33. 

Harris,  Henry  B.,  212. 

Harris,  William,   160. 

Harrison,  Hindie,  105. 

Hartley,  J.  S.,  113. 

Hassler,  Simon,  126. 

Hauk,  Minnie,  7. 

Haupt,  Marie,  12. 

Havemeyer,   H.   O.,  34. 

Havemeyer,    Henry,    27. 

Havemeyer,  Theodore,  27,  33. 

Haven,  George  G.,  53. 

Hawtrey,  Charles,  237. 

Hayman,  Al.,  93.  .^ 

Hellmesberger,  Jos.,  69,  109. 

Hegediis,  Ferensz,  185. 

Heugel  et  Cie,  41. 

Herald  (New  York),  10,  57,  263,  264. 

Herald    (Paris),  86,   263,   264. 

Herbert,  J.  W.,  126. 

Herbert,  Wm.,  106. 

Herbert,  Victor,  126,  128,  181,  182,  222. 

Herrman,   A.,   126. 

Herve,  M.,  220. 

Hill,  J.  M.,  115. 

Hill,  Karl,   12. 

Hilliard,  Harry  S.,  105,  106. 

Hinckley,    Allan,   226. 

Hinshaw,   William,   226. 

Hippodrome,   N".  Y.,  227. 

Hirschfeld,  M.,  126. 

Hitchcock,  Raymond,  165,  222. 

Hitchcock,  Mrs.  Thomas,  163. 

Hobart,  N.,  34. 

Hoffmann,  Emma,  226. 

Hofmann,  Josef,  81,  82. 

Holt,   Sophie,   160. 

Home  of  Comic  Opera,  104,  115. 

Homer,  Louise,  225. 

Honore,  N.  K.,  33. 


Hopper,   Charles,   160. 
Hopper,  De  Wolf,  105,  126. 
Hopper,  Edna  Wallace,  236. 
Horton,  H.  L.,  33. 
Hotel  Mayran  in  Paris,  30. 
Hotel  Victoria  in  Milan,  187. 
Houston,  T.,  33. 
Howard,  Kathleen,  225. 
Howson,  John,  52,  104. 
Hoyt,  Charles,  232. 
Hoyt,  Henry  E.,  71,  85,  in. 
Hoyt,  Jesse,  32. 
Hughes,  J.  M.,  33- 
Hummel,  Theo.  A.,  33. 
Hunt,  H.  W.,  126. 
Hunter,  Dr.  Thomas,  3. 
Hyde,  Walter,  234. 

Imperial  Japanese  Troupe,  169. 
"Indigo,"  69,    109,    in. 
Infanta  Eulalie,   157,  158. 
Ingram,  Bessie,  225. 
Intermezzo,   Orientate,   141. 
Irving,  Carl,  68,  106. 
Irwin,  May,  160,  161. 
Iselin,  Adrian,  53. 
Iselin,  Adrian  Jr.,  34. 
"Ixion,"  219. 

Jackson,   Ethel,   165,  222. 

ackson,  John  P.,  10. 

acoby,  Josephine,  225. 

acauin,  G.,   126. 

affray,  Robert,  Jr.,  129. 

ahn,   H'err,   122. 

aide,  Louise,  12. 

Jakobowski,  Edward,  67,  106,  222. 
Jam's,  Elsie,  237. 
Jansen,  Marie,  68,  72,  73,  84,  94,  106, 

107,   112,  192,   193. 
Jarbeau,  Verona,  106. 
Jarrett  &  Palmer,  227. 
Jay,  Col.  and  Mrs.  William,  158. 
Jesup,  Morris  K.,  27. 
Joachim,  Joseph,  155,  159. 
Johes,  Francis   S..    113. 
John,  Theo.,  126. 
Johnes,  Chas.  A.,  33. 
Johns,  Eva.   108. 
Johnston,   Fannie,   236. 
Johnston,  R.  E.,  126. 
Jomelli,  Madame,  225. 
Jones,  Sidney,  222. 
Joncieres,   Victorin,   20. 


INDEX 


277 


Jordan,  C.  N.,  33. 
Joseffy,  Rafael,  126,  128. 
Josephi,  Herr,  120. 
Joslyn,  B.  F.,  107. 
Jovar,   Secretary,   158. 
Joyce,  Laura,  52,  104,  105. 
Jullien,  Paul,  29,  52. 
Juch,  Emma,  52,  128,  226. 

Kaiserhof  Hotel  in  Berlin,  183. 

Kane,  E.   Nicholson,   158. 

Karl,  Tom,  234. 

Kean,  Edmund,  149. 

Kellogg,  Clara  Louise,  7. 

Kemeys,  Edw.,  33. 

Kerby,  Sadie,   106. 

Kerker,    Gustave,   87,    in,    126,    128, 

160,   177,  222. 
Kernochan,  Fred,  33. 
Kimball   &   Wisedell,   34- 
Kirkland,  B.  B.,  33. 
Klaw  &  Erlanger,  93,  207. 
Klein,  Alfred,  104,  106. 
Klein,   Bruno  Oscar,    128. 
Knabe  &  Co.,  Wm.,   126. 
Knickerbocker,   H.,  33. 
Knight,  E.  B.,  107. 
Knox,  Villa,  109,  no. 
Kocian,  Jaroslav,    167,   168,   178,   179, 

209. 

Koegel,  Joseph,  12. 
Koenig,  Marie,  106. 
Kohlsaat,  Chas.  W.,  33. 
Kontski,    Chevalier  de,   26. 
Korbay,   Francis.    10. 
Koster  &  Bial,  81. 
Krehbiel,  Henry  E.,   155. 
Kremser,  Eduard,  122. 
Kroll's  Garden  in  Berlin,  30. 
Kubelik,  Jan,   166,   167. 

Lablache,  Signor,  149. 

Lackaye,  Wilton,  195. 

Lacome,  P.,  69,  107,  222. 

La  Grange,  Madame,  7,  149. 

L'Allemand.  Pauline,  109. 

Lambert,  Alexander,  52,  83,  126,  159. 

Lammert,   Mina,   12. 

Lancaster.  J.  J.,  33. 

Lander,  John  M.,   129. 

Lang,   Anton,    199. 

Lang,  B.  J.,   129. 

Langdon,  Adele,  106. 

Langdon,  Walter,  34. 


Lanier,  Charles,  27,  32. 

Lankow,  Edward,  226. 

Lapland  Steamer,  186. 

Lapsley,  C,  33. 

Latham,  John  C.,  33. 

Lawrence,  Judge  Abram  R.,   158. 

Lawrence,  Emma,  107. 

Lecocq,  Charles,  69,  105,  107,  201,  203, 

204,  220,  231. 
Lederer,  George  W.,  207. 
Lehar,  Franz,  61,  222,  223,  234. 
Lehmann,  Lillie,   12. 
Lehmann,    Marie,    12. 
Leighton,   Sir  Frederick,  180. 
Leighton,  Rose,   104,  105. 
Lemon,  Marguerite,  226. 
Lenox  Lyceum,  87,  182. 
Leoncavallo,  Ruggero,  187,  188,  189. 
Leoni,  Henry,  107,  108,   109,  no. 
Leoni,  Lizzie,    108. 
LeRoy,  J.  R..  34- 
Leslie.  Fred.  86,  104. 
Letchetisky,    Professor,    122. 
Leventritt,  David,  92,  160. 
Levick,  Gustavus,  106. 
Levy.  Tules.  29,  52,  126.  149,  181. 
Libby,  J.  M.,  33. 
Lillie,  T.  W.,  33- 
Lind,  Jenny,  149. 
Lindley,  D.  A.,  33. 
Ling.  Richie,   109. 
Liszt.  Franz.  5,   13,   14. 
Litolff,  Henry,  26. 
Little,  Duke.  105.  no. 
Little  Tuesday,   195. 
Littlefield,   C,   33- 
Lloyd,  Edward,  210. 
Lockwood.  L.  G.,  34. 
Lombard,  Louis,  126. 
Lord  Londsdale,  96. 
Lorillard,   Pierre,  34. 
Lorillard.  L.  L.,  32. 
Lorillard,   Peter,  148. 
Lorraine,  Alys,  226. 
Lounsbery,  R.  P.,  33- 
Lovett.  George,  148. 
Lowery,  James  P.,  27. 
Lowrey,  Grosvenor  P.,  27. 
Lube.  Max,  108. 
Lucca,  Pauline,  7,  122,  149. 
Lucca.    Signora,    14,    121. 
Lucette,  Madeline,  52,   104,   106. 
Luders.  G.,  222. 
Luna  Park,  181. 


278 


INDEX 


Lussan,  Zelie  de,  210. 
"Lustige  Wittwe,"  222. 
Lyne,  Felice,  225. 
Lyons,  Julius  J.,  126. 

Maas,  James,   109. 
McAllister,   Ward,    158. 
McAlpin,  C.  W.,  129. 
McCaull,  John  A.,  49,  50. 
McCaull  Opera  Company,  221. 
MacDonough,   Harry,    104,    105,    109, 

1 10. 

McGinnis,  J.,  Jr.,  33. 

MacKenzie,   George,    109. 

McKim,  Charles  F.,  128. 

Macready,   149. 

McWade,  John  T.,  105,  106. 

"Madame   Angot,"   52,   69,    108,    in, 

178. 

Madame  Theo,  47,  48,  49,  52,  220. 
"Mile.  Modiste,"  227. 
"Madelon,"  69,  107,  in. 
Madison   Square  Concert  Hall,   158. 
Madison  Square  Garden,  26,  266. 
Maflin,  A.  W.,  52,  68,   104,  105,   106, 

107,  1 08,  109. 
Mai,  Edith,  107. 
Maine  Monument  Fund,  195. 
Mali,  Charles,  27. 
Malibran,  Madame,  149. 
Manhattan  Beach,  180,  181,  182. 
Manhattan  Opera  House,  191,  192". 
Manola,  Marion,  68,  1 06. 
Mantell,  Anna,  109. 
Mantell,  Robert,  195. 
Manuscript    Society,    128,    154. 
Mapleson,  J.  H.,  151. 
Marcel,    Lucille,   226. 
Maretzek,  Max,  7,  126,  150. 
Marie  Galli,  21,  220. 
Marie  Paola,  220. 
Mario,  Signor,  149. 
Marion,  Rose,  105. 
Markham,   Pauline,  219. 
"Marquis,  The,"  69,  75,  102,  107,  HO. 
Marston,  Richard,   in. 
Marteau,  Henri,  159. 
Martin,  Ricardo,  226. 
Martinez,  Y.,  33. 

Martinet,  Sadie,  71,  72,  73,  74,  106. 
Mascagni,   Pietro,  69,  86,   109,  210. 
Mason,  Addie,   107. 
Mason,   William,    128. 
Masse,  Victor,  18,  20. 


Massenet,  J.,  20,  40,  41,  42,  43,  159. 

Massey,  Rose,  219. 

Materna,  Madame,  121. 

Maurel,  Victor,  7. 

Maynard,  Eugenie,  106. 

Maynard,  Geo.  W.,  113. 

Mazzonivich,  John,  112. 

Melba,  Madame,  153,   191,   192,  256. 

Melin,  Florence,  107. 

Mees,  Arthur,  126,  129. 

Melnotte,  Miss  Violet,  67. 

"Merry  Countess,"  223. 

Merry,  Harley,  112. 

"Merry  War,"  61,  104,  no. 

"Merry  Widow,"  61,  222,  333. 

Metra,  Olivier,  19. 

Metropolitan  Concert  Hall,  27,  29,  30, 

163.  . 
Metropolitan    Opera    House,    53,    66, 

112,   155,   164,   181,   182,   188,  214, 

226,  244,  256,  265. 
Meyerbeer,  5. 
Meyer,  Leopold,  3,  4. 
Meyers,  A.  G.,  33. 
Meyers,   Annie,   109,   no. 
Mezieres,  M.,  220. 
"Mikado,"  91,  98,  99,  223. 
Millocker,  Carl,  OX,  69,  94,   104,   105, 

108,  201,  202,  203,  221,  231. 
Mills,  D.  O.,  53. 
Minford,  Thomas,  33. 
Minturn,  Robert  B.,  32. 
Montague,  Harry,  220. 
Montaland,   Cecile,  219. 
Montant,  A.  P.,  158. 
Moore,  E.   C,  34- 
Morgan,  Henry,  27. 
Morgan,  J.  Pierpont,  27,  32,  1 12. 
Morris,  Estelle.  107. 
Morrison,  Lewis,   195. 
Mortimer,  N.  Y.,  33. 
Moseworthy,    F.,    148. 
Mottl,  Felix,   171,  213. 
Mount,  George,  179. 
Moving  Picture  Shows,  228. 
Mulai  Abdul  Aziz,  134,  135,  137,  139, 

140,  142. 

Murphy,    Lambert,   226. 
Murray,  L.  C,  34. 
Musin,    Ovide,    126. 
Myers,  Theodore  W.,  158. 

"Nadjy,"  69,  71,  72,  73,  93,   107,   in, 
177,   178,   192. 


INDEX 


279 


"Nancy  Lee,"  233. 

"Nanon,"  69,  73,  74,  91,  106,  109,  no. 

Naumann,  Madame,  31. 

Naumburg,  Elkan,  128. 

Navarro,  Jose  F.,  27. 

Naya,  Mile.,   159. 

Neilsen,  Alice,  225. 

"Nell  Gwynne,"   105,   no. 

Neuendorff,  Adolph,   128. 

Nevada,  Emma,  7. 

Nevada,    Mignon,   226. 

New   York  Casino  Company,  32,  51. 

New  York  Press  Club,  195. 

Newman,  A.,  126. 

Newport  Casino,  34,  36. 

Neyer,  Ernest,   126,  129. 

Niblo's  Garden,  N.  Y.f  227. 

Nilsson,  Christine,  7. 

Nixau,   Mile.,  220. 

Nixon  &  Zimmerman,  92. 

Norcross,  J.  W.  Jr.,  126. 

Nordica,  Lillian,  84,  225,  256. 

Novak,   Adolf,    in. 

Oakley,  H.  Cruger,  33. 

Ober-Ammergau,    195. 

O'Donohue,    Chamberlain,    158. 

Odell,  Grant,  128. 

Oelrichs,  Mrs.  Herman,   163. 

Offenbach,  Jacques,  52,  69,  93,  95,  96- 

104,  107,  108,  204,  220,  231. 
O'Keefe,   Anna,    107,    108. 
Old  Wallaces  Theater,  176,  220. 
Oliver  Ditson   Company,    126. 
Olmi,  George,  52,  104,  107,  108. 
Opdyke,  George  F.,  33. 
Opera  Comique,  Paris,   112. 
Original    Flbrodora    Sextette,  236. 
Orme,  Gertrude,  104. 
Ottomeyer,  J.  L.,  126. 

Pachmann,  Vladimir  de,  182,  183. 

Paderewski,   I.,   79. 

Paganini    Brothers,    190,    191. 

Paganini    Collection,    190,    191. 

Paganini,   Nicolo,   too,   191. 

Paine,  John  K.,  128. 

Paladilhe,   M.,   20. 

Palais  des  Costumes,   154- 

Palliser,  Esther,   185. 

Palmer,  G.  H.,  34. 

Parder,  Robert  Kent,  226. 

Parepa  Rosa,  7,   149. 

Paris  Conservatoire,  8,  84,  159- 


Paris  Grand  Opera,  18. 

Paris  Theaters,  245,  246,  247,  248. 

Parker,  Louis  N.,  183. 

Parker,  R.  H.,  33. 

Parsifal,    170,    171,  214. 

Parsons,  A.  R.,  126. 

Parsons,  Albert  Ross,   128. 

Pasdeloup,  J.,  17,  18. 

Pasquali,  Bernice  de,  225. 

Passion  Play,   195. 

"Patience,"  98,  105,  no. 

Patti,    Adelina,   7,    149,    150,  253. 

Paul  et  Virginie,  18. 

Paullin,  Louise,  50,  52,  104. 

Paulton,   Harry,  66,  67. 

Pavlowa,  Anna,  212. 

Peabody,  George  Foster,   128. 

Pearl,  W.   E.,  33. 

Penfield,  Smith  N.,  128. 

Pepper,   Harry,  68,   106. 

Perkins,   Benjamin,  33. 

Perlet,  Hermann,  ill,  126. 

Perugini,  J.,  50,  61,  104. 

Perry,  Alexander,  97. 

Perry,  Irene,  105. 

Persse,   Thomas,    165. 

Phelps,  E.  C,  128. 

Philharmonic  Society,  N.  Y.,  159. 

Phillips,   Arthur,   226. 

Plummer,   John   F.,   34. 

Picaver,    William,   226. 

Picollomini,   Signora,    149. 

"Pinafore,"    98,   oq,    223. 

"Pink  Lady,"  233. 

Plaister,  T.  S.,  in. 

Platt,  Thomas  C.,  33- 

Plancon,  M.,  256. 

Planquette,  A.,   105. 

Plunkett,  Charles,  105,  107. 

Pohlner,   Frau,   120. 

"Polly,"  64,  105,  no. 

Pomeroy,  Wm.  L.,  34. 

Pond,  Warren,   128. 

"Poor    Jonathan,"    69,    94,    108,    ill, 

169. 

Porter,  General  Horace,  34,  158. 
Post,  George  B.,  28. 
Post,  Lilly,  50,  104,  105,  no. 
Potter,  Mabel,  no. 
Pounds,  Courtice,  107. 
Powell,  Maude,   128.  ' 

Powers,  James  T.,  102,  107,  108,  109, 

195- 
President  Diaz,   189. 


280 


INDEX 


Preisch,  Frank,  226. 

Priaulx,  J.  M.   (in  foreword). 

Priest,  Charles,   108. 

"Prince   Methusalem,"   60,    104,    no. 

Prince  Troubetzskoy,  213. 

Prince  Antonio,  158. 

Prince,  J.  D.,  33. 

Prince  Ludwig  Victor,   171. 

Prince  of   Wales,   179,    180. 

Prince  William  of   Hesse,   171. 

Princes'  Hall  in  London,   179. 

Princess  of  Anhalt,  171. 

"Princess  of  Trebizond,"  52,  104,  no. 

Pruette,  William,  87,  109,  no,  126. 

Puccini,  183,  184,  258. 

Puerner,  Charles,  126. 

Pupil  of  Mascagni,  210. 

Purdy,  George,  126. 

"Quaker  Girl,"  233. 

"Queen's  Lace  Handkerchief,"  31,  49, 

50,  51,  52,  57,  58,  60,  104,  1 10,  221, 

235- 

Rachel,  Madame,   149. 

"Rainmaker  of  Syria,"  69,  160. 

Randall,  Clara,   108. 

Rappold,  Marie,  225. 

Rathbone,  R.  C,  33. 

Rawlston,  Zelma,  107. 

Raymond,  Louis,  105. 

"Red  Widow,"  233. 

Reichenberg,   F.   von,   12. 

Reiff,  A.  Jr.,  127. 

Reiffarth,  Jennie,  50,  104,  109,  no. 

Reitlinger,    Wm,,   33. 

Relyea,  Marjorie,  236. 

Remsen,  Robt.  G.,  34. 

Renard,   122. 

Renauld,  Charles,  27. 

Rennay,  Leon,  185. 

Rennyson,  Gertrude,  226. 

Reno,  Morris,   127,   129. 

Renwick,   Charles,    107,   108,   109. 

Reszke,  Edouard  de,  Zio,  256. 

Reszke,  Jean  de,  152,  153,  256,  264. 

Reszke,  Madame  de,  152. 

Reyer,  Ernest,  20. 

Reynolds,  Genevieve,   105. 

Rhinelander,   Wm'.,  34. 

"Rialto"   Old  and   New,  220,  221. 

Ricci,  Bertha,  75,  99,   104,   107,   160. 

Ricci,  Rose,  107.     - 


Rice,  Fanny,  84,  85,  106,  107,  108,  109, 

195- 

Richardson,  Hattie,  104. 
Richeter,  Hans,  12,   13,  122. 
Ridsdale,   Frank,   107. 
Rigl,  Betty,  227. 
Riegelman,  Mabel,  226. 
Rising,  Wm.  S.,  104,  105. 
Ristori,  Madame,   149. 
Ritter,  Mile.,   18. 
Ritter,  Theodore,  18. 
Ritzmann,  Charles  L.   (in  foreword). 
"Robin  Hood,"  234. 
Robyn,   Alfred   G.,   127. 
Rogers,  W.  B.,  127. 
Rolla,  Kate,  226. 
Romana,  Norma,  226. 
Roof  Garden  of  the  Casino,  30,  57, 

180. 

Roosevelt,  James  A.,  53. 
Roosevelt,  Miss  Alice,  154,  155. 
Roosevelt,  Robt.  B.,  34. 
Roosevelt,  S.  H.,  34. 
Roosevelt,   Theodore,   189. 
Rose,  Florence,  226. 
"Rose  Maid,"  233. 
Roseman,  George,  105. 
Rosenberg,  Gabriel  M.,  10,  127. 
Roseborn,   Harry   W.,    160. 
Rosenfeld,  Sydney,  69,   160. 
Rosenthal,   Moriz,   182. 
Rosey,  George,  10. 
Rossini,  5,  7,  184. 
Rostetter,  W.  J.,   127. 
Rothschild,   Baroness  de,  213. 
Royal    Amateur    Orchestral    Society, 

179. 

Rozsavolgyi  &  Company,   165. 
Ruben,  L.  M.,  126. 
Rubini,  Signor,  149. 
Rubinstein,  Anton,  20,  176. 
"Ruddygore,"   100.  ' 
Ruffo,  Titta,   187,   188,  253. 
Russell,  Laura,   107,   108. 
Russell,  Lillian,  52,  64,  69,  70,  93,  95, 

104,   105,   107,   108,   109,   112,   169, 

195- 

Ruysdael,   Basil,   226,   234. 
Ryley,  J.  H'.,  104,  105,  106,  107,  127. 
Ryse,  Ellis,  107. 

Sadler,  Josie,    106. 
Sailors'  Relief  Fund,  186. 
St.  Denis,  Ruth,  212. 


INDEX 


281 


St.  Gaudens,  Augustus,   113. 

St.  James  Hall,  London,  166,   167. 

St.  John,  Florence,  195. 

St.  John,  Mae,  106. 

Saint  Saens,  Camille,  20. 

Salvator,   Ernest,   ill. 

Salvini,  Tomaso,   149. 

Sandow,  Eugene,  82,  83. 

Sangali,   Madame,  227. 

Sanger,  Frank  W.,  67. 

Sapio,  Clementine  de  Vere,  129. 

Sarasate,  Pablo  de,  176. 

Saro,  Herr,  9,  10. 

Savage,  Henry  W.,  221,  223. 

Saverni,  Ada,  226. 

Savoy  Theater,  London,  47,  I  oo. 

Scala  in  Milan,   184. 

Scalchi,   Madame,  256. 

Schack,  Rud  W.,  33. 

Scharwenka,  Xaver,  128. 

Scheff,  Fritzi,  226. 

Scheider,  May,  225. 

Schilling,  Ernest    86. 

Schilling,  Victoria,  85,   106. 

Schlosser,  Karl,  12. 

Schmidt,   Edmund    P.,  34. 

Schneider,   Hortense,  95. 

Schuetz,  Ferdinand,   109. 

Schratt,   Herr,   121. 

Schuberth,  H.  E.,  126. 

Schuyler,   Montgomery,   129. 

Schwab,   Fred,   10. 

Scott,  Clement,  200. 

Scott,   Cyril,  236. 

Scott,  Henri,  226. 

Scott,  James,  34. 

Scott,  Wm.   H.,  27. 

Scribner,  John  H.,  34. 

Seabrooke,  Thos.  Q.,  126. 

Searles,  Wm.  D.,  33. 

Segal,  Sydney,  226. 

Seguin,  Zelda,  52. 

Seidl,  Anton,  127,  159,  181. 

Seligman,  Henry,   126,  128,   163. 

Seligman,  Jesse,  27,  32,   163. 

Serpentine  Dance,  80,  81. 

Sevcik,  Professor,  167. 

Shahan,  Mons.  T.  J.,  267. 

Shaughran,  The,  220. 

Sheldon,  Henry  K.,  128. 

Sheriff  of  Nottingham',  234. 

Sherman,  Genl.  Wm.  T.,  97,  169,  19*. 

Shook,   Sheridan,  26. 

Shubert,  Sam  and  Lee,  207,  223. 


Sibley,  S.  W.,  34. 

Sickles,  Genl.  D.  E.,  34,  169. 

Simonson,   Selli,   in. 

Simpkins,  N.  S.  Jr.,  33. 

Sire,  Henry  B.,  160. 

"Siren,  The,"  223. 

Sistare,  W.  H.  M.,  33. 

Smilie,  J.  D,  113. 

Smith,  Charles   S.,  34. 

Smith,  Edgar,  107,  109. 

Smith,  Gerrit,  128,  129. 

Smith,  M.  V.  B.,  33. 

Smith,  Mark,   105,  106,  i6a 

Snelling,   Lillia,  225. 

Solomon,  Edward,  64,  105,  222. 

Solomon,  Fred,   107,   108,   109,  195. 

Sonnenthal,  Herr,   121,  122. 

Sontag,  Henrietta,  149. 

Sorcerer,  The,  52,  104,  no. 

Sousa,  John  Philip,  127,  181,  267. 

Souvereign,  Alice,  226. 

"Spring  Maid,"  233. 

Stacey,  Delia,  108. 

Standish,  Harry,  50,  104,  106. 

Stall,  Baron  de,  213. 

Starbuck,  Wm.  H.,  33. 

State  Concert,  London,  210. 

Steeple  Chase  Park,  181. 

Steindorff,   Paul,   in,   126. 

Steinway   Hall,   253. 

Steinway,    William,    126,    128. 

Steinway  &  Sons,   128. 

Stephenson,   Mabel,    109. 

Stetson,  Francis  Lynde,  158. 

Stetson,  John,   98,   169,    170. 

Stevens,  Edwin,   107,  108,  109,  234. 

Stevens,  Minnie  Saltzman,  225. 

Stevens,    Mrs.    Paran,    180. 

Stockwell,    Chas.    B.,   34- 

Stone,  A.  B.,  27. 

Stone,  Amelia,  165,  222. 

Stewart,   Wm.   Rhinelander,  34. 

Stoughton,  E.  W.,  34. 

Stout,   Jos.    S.,   33. 

Stow,  J.  A.,  33. 

Strakosch,   Ginlia,  226. 

Strang,  S.  A.,  33- 

Strauss,  Eduard,  31,  94,  121,  125,  162, 

163,   164,   165. 
Strauss,  Frank  V.,   126. 
Strauss   Golden   Jubilee,    119. 
Strauss,  Johann,  4,  5,   19,  31,  32,  3°, 

47,  49,  66,  69,  94,   104,   105,   106, 

119,  120,  231. 


282 


INDEX 


Strauss  Monster  Concert,  8,  9. 

Strauss,  Oscar,  223. 

Strauss,  Richard,  212. 

Streitmann,  Herr,   120. 

Strong,  Charles  E.,  33. 

Strong,  William  E.,  27. 

Strudelli,  Professor,   147. 

Stuart,  Leslie,  222. 

Stuart,  Mary,   106. 

Sucher,  Rosa,  171. 

Sullivan,  Algernon  S.,  27. 

Sullivan,   Sir  Arthur,  91,   180,  231. 

Sultan  of  Morocco,  134,  135,  137,  139, 

140,  142. 

Sunday  Concerts,  51. 
Superintendent    Byrnes,    101. 
Suppe,  Franz  Von,  201,  202,  221,  231. 
Swartz,    Jeska,    225. 
Sweet,  George,  126. 
Sweet  Sixteen  Waltz,  29,  181. 
Swinburne,    Ann,    234. 
Swirsky,  Thamara  de,  212,  213,  214. 
Sylvester,  Louise,  92,  106. 

Taft,  Charles  P.,  186,  187. 

Taft,   William   Howard,   186,   187. 

Tamberlik,  Signor,  149. 

Tarns,  Arthur  W.,  107,  108,  109,  126. 

Tannehill,  Frank,  Jr.,   104. 

Tannert,  Loretta,  226. 

Tanguay,  Eva,  244,  245. 

Tappen,  C.  J..  33. 

Tappen,  F.  D..  33- 

Tauffenberger,   M.,  220. 

Taylor,  Jay,   50,    104,   105. 

Tempest,  Marie,  87,  109,  192,  195. 

Temple,  Edward.   106. 

Terry,  Antonio  E.,  33. 

Terry,  Juan   P.,  33. 

Texsmith,   Vaughn,   236. 

Thallon,   R.,   126. 

"The  Man  of  the  Hour"  March,  187. 

"The  Widow  Jones,"  160. 

Theband,  Paul  L.,  34. 

Theater  an  der  Wien,   120. 

Theater  Sarah  Bernhardt,  211. 

Theatrical  Syndicate,  228. 

Thiers,  Adolphe,   183. 

Thomas,  Ambroise,  7,  20,   159. 

Thomas,  M.  J.,    108. 

Thomas,  Maude,  165. 

Thomas,  Theodore,    8,    29,    40,    125, 

126,  127,  128,  130,  181. 
Thompson,  Lydia,  219,  230. 


Thomsen,  Baron  C.  de,  33. 

Thorne,   Sylvia,    108. 

Thorpe,  Courtney,  195. 

Thursby,  Emma,  52. 

Tietiens,   Teresa,   149. 

Tiffany,  Charles  L.,  33. 

Tiffany  &  Co.,  124. 

Tileston,  J.  D.,  33. 

Tilgner,   Herr,    122. 

Toedt,  Mrs.  Ella     A.,  128. 

Tomaso,    A.,    126. 

Tooker,   George   M.,   33. 

Toscanini,  Maestro,   184. 

Tostee,  Mile.,  219. 

Townsend,  Miss  Amy  C.,   128. 

Townsend,   Percv,  50.? 

Tows,   Francis   H.,  27. 

Tracey,  Minnie,  226. 

Trasker,  Isabella,  226. 

Treat,  E.  A.,  34. 

Treville,  Yvonne  de,  226. 

Tristan   and    Isolde,    170,   171. 

Trobriand,  Genl.  de,  148. 

Tschaikowski,  Pieter,  175. 

Tucker,  Gideon,   148. 

Twombly,  H.  McK.,  32,  53. 

Tyrolean,  The,  69,  87,  109,  in,  192. 

Uart,  Kate,  107. 
"Uncle   Celestin,"  79,    109,    Hi. 
Unger,  George,  12. 
Untermyer,   Samuel,    126,   160. 
Urquhart,   Isabelle,  75,   105,   106,   107, 
108. 


Valerga,  Ida,  105. 

Van  Dyck,  Herr,   121. 

VanDresser,  Marcia,  226. 

Van  Hoose,   Ellison,   226. 

Van  Janaschowsky,  Georgine,   105. 

Vanderbilt,  William  H.,  32. 

Vanderbilt,   William   K.,   53. 

Vauthier,  M..  220. 

Varnum,  General,  158. 

Varry,  Alma,  106. 

Vasseur,  Leon,  220. 

Verdi,  G.,  7,  150,   185. 

Vert,  N.,  182,  210. 

"Vice  Admiral,"  69,  no,   in. 

"Vienna  Life,"   165,  222. 

Villard,  Henry,  33. 

Vincent,  Alice,   106. 

Vivienne,    Miss,    152,    153. 


INDEX 


283 


Voegtlin,    Arthur,   228. 
Voegtlin,    William,    in. 
Vogel,  Heinrich,  12. 
Yogel,  Henry,  108. 
Vogrich,  Max,  152. 
Volksgarten  in  Vienna,  30. 
Von  der  Heide,  J.  F.,  129. 


Wachtel,   Theodor,   149. 

Waetjin,  Louis,  27. 

Wagner,  Cosima,  170,  215. 

Wagner  Festival  at  Bayreuth,  10,  II, 

12,  13,  14,  170. 
Wagner,   Richard,  5,   13,   14,   19,   120, 

170,  215,  232. 

Wagner,   Siegfried,  214,  215. 
Wakefield,  Henrietta,  225. 
Waldauer,   A.,    127. 
Waldorf-Astoria   Ball  Room,   163. 
Waldteufel,  Emile,  38,  47. 
Walker,  Edyth,  225. 
Walker,   Margaret,  236. 
Wall,  Frank  T.,  33- 
Wallack's  Theater,  8r,  183. 
"Waltz  Dream,"  223. 
Walton,  H.  E.,  108. 
Ward,    Fannie,    160. 
Ward,   James   E.,  27. 
Ward,  Samuel,  33. 
Warren,  G.  Henry,  53. 
Warren,  George   W.,   128. 
Warren,   Richard   H.,   128. 
Washington   Evening  Star,  267. 
Washineton    Symphony   Society,   267. 
Wayburn,    Agnes,   236. 
Weathersby,  Jennie,  68,  106,  107,  109. 
Webb,   Mrs.   H.   Walter,    128. 
Weber,  Albert,  Sr.,  8. 
Weber  and  Fields,  207. 
Weddell,  Ina,  107. 
Weed,  H.  F.,  34. 
Weeks,  C.  L..   106. 
Weldon,   Harry,  226. 
Wells,   Sadie,  '106. 
Welsh,    Osgood,   33. 
Werba  and  Luescher,  207. 
Wernig,  C.  F.,  127. 
West  Point  Cadets,  97,  169. 
Wetmore,   Helen,  226. 
Wetmore.  Gep.  Peabody  32,  53,  158. 
White,  Carolina,   225. 
White,  George  R.,   108. 
White,  Horace,    33. 


White,  Stanford,   128. 
White,  William,   106. 
Whitehill,  Clarence,  226. 
Whitely,  J.,  33 
Whitney,  Edwin,    105. 
Whitney,  Fred  C,   126,  221. 
Whitney,  S.   B.,   129. 
Whitney,  William   C.,    53,    178,    179. 
Wickham,  Florence,  225,  234. 
Wieniawski,  Henri,   176. 
Wilder,   Marshall   P.,   195. 
Wilhelmj,  August,  12,   13. 
Wilke,  Hubert,  104,  105. 
Willard,  E.  K.,  33. 
Williams,  Jesse,  69,   in,   127. 
Wilson,  Florence,   108. 
Wilson,  Francis,    51,    60,    68,   69,    92, 
101,   104,   105,   106,   112,   126,  195. 
Wilson,  H.  S.,  33. 
Wilson,  Marie  L.,  236. 
Wilson,  R.  T.,  53. 
Wilson,  Rose,  107. 
Winant,   Emily.  52. 
Winslow,  E.  F,  33. 
Winslow,  Edward,  27,  33. 
Winston,  G.   S.,  27. 
"Wiener  Blut,"    165,  222. 
Wisedell,  Thomas,  48. 
Witherspoon,  Herbert,  226. 
Woereschoeffer,  C.  F.,  27. 
Wolf,    Christopher.    148. 
Wolfe,  John  D.,  148. 
Woodruff,  M.,  33- 
Woods,  Al.,  207. 
Woods,  Murry,.  68.  106. 
Wood's  Museum.  N.  Y.,  219. 
Woodward,    Lillian,    185. 
World,  New  York,  58. 
Wurm,  Moritz,  185. 


"Yeomen  of  the  Guard,"  69,  98,  99, 

100,  107,  in. 
Yorke,  Madge,  192. 
Young.  John,  112. 
Youngs,  Alfred,  33. 
Yradier,  M.,  21. 

Zeisler,   Fanny  Bloomfield,   129. 
Zell  and  Genee,  66,  73,  106. 
Zeller,  Carl,  69,  87,   109-. 
Zerrahn,  Carl,  127. 
Ziegfeld,  Flo.  Jr.,  82,  207. 


University  of  Cslifornis 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


SRLF 
2  WEEK 


STA 

Oi 

DiRi 


STA 

Dl 

DIR 

Form  L! 


1994 


A    000025190    o 


